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December 9, 2019

Nothing provides a greater threat to data security today than cyberattacks, where hackers use sophisticated methods and technologies to compromise all types of digital devices, including smartphones, tablets, individual computers and entire computer networks. If and when an attack succeeds, valuable data is breached and becomes available to the hackers, According to the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds (64%) of all Americans have had their online data and information compromised via a major data breech, and have been impacted in at least one of the following ways:

  • 41% encountered fraudulent charges on their credit cards
  • 35% received notices that sensitive information (ex. account numbers) had be compromised
  • 16% said that someone had taken over their email accounts
  • 15% received notices that their Social Security number had been compromised
  • 14% said that someone had attempted to take out loans or lines of credit in their name
  • 13% said someone had taken over one of their social media accounts
  • 6& said that someone has impersonated them in order to file fraudulent tax returns

In addition, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reports that 1,632 data breeches were reported and tracked in 2017, leading to approximately 198 million records being exposed. In 2018, the total number of breaches actually fell to 1,244, but it’s estimated that more than 447 million consumer records were compromised. Businesses suffered the most breaches by industry, with a total of 571 (46% of the total number of breaches), while the healthcare industry fell victim to 363 breaches (29%).

Data Hacks and Breaches 101

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