Data Breaches: The Basics

Statistics show data breach criminals (aka “hackers”) are highly motivated by money to acquire your data and personal information. They take it, use it to get credit in your name, access your accounts and trick your friends and family. If you don’t think your information is already in the hands of criminals, think again. That information can and likely will be used against you when you least expect it. Many experts agree that data breaches are already the #1 biggest threat to citizens of this nation. It is also clear that companies are not sufficiently prepared for data breaches. Between 2005 (when most cyber security reporting began) and 2022, there were over 15,000 recorded breaches. 3,950 of those confirmed attacks occurred in 2020 alone, with a cyberattack effort occurring every 39 seconds. The vast majority of people in this country were the subjects of hacking in just the past five years–often via multiple data breaches. This is a reality which is getting worse every day.