Think Critically: Madonna Goes Dark Read real-world scenario to help understand and apply the theory. Madonna Goes Dark Although this blog posting title may sound like an upcoming album from the best-selling female recording artist, it is actually a drastic step that Madonna is taking due to a recent security breach. But it may take more for her defenses to be effective In December 2014, the icon entertainer was forced to quickly move up the release of six tracks from her latest album for immediate purchase (it was not scheduled to appear until March 10, 2015). The emergency release was due to the fact that 13 prelease recordings, which is thought to be the entire album, were stolen and leaked onto the Internet. In addition, previously unpublished photos were also taken and posted without permission. It is not known if this is the work of an insider or attackers like those who have targeted Sony. Madonna has now stated that in order to combat future leaks her content will no longer be placed on connected servers. She said, "Everything we work on, if we work on computers, we're not on WiFi, we're not on the Internet, we don't work in a way where anybody can access the information. Hard drives of music are hand-carried to people. We don't leave music laying around." Madonna went on to say that at any future photo or video recordings everyone involved will be required to leave their cell phones checked at the door Will Madonna going dark solve the problem? Not entirely, although it may help deter outside attackers from accessing her recordings and photos. If this was the work of an insider then they still may have access to the material. And this assumes that couriers hand-delivering the portable hard drives are also entirely honest, are strong enough to resist someone grabbing it out of their hands, and don't leave the drive out of their sight in a locked car. A more comprehensive plan that includes encryption and data loss prevention (DLP) may help keep the Material Girl's material safe Stay secure