2022 has come and gone, but there’s still a ton of data from it to review. For example, the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) annual report on data theft. The good news is that the overall number of data breaches has decreased. However significantly more users’ data has been stolen in those fewer instances.
For six years now the number of data theft victims has been on the rise, and 2022 has seen a jump by almost 42%. That amounts to an estimated number that goes beyond 422 million instances where some sort of user data has been pilfered.
The report takes a moment to note the lack of details in numerous reports from certain companies, without pointing fingers in specific directions. And when we say “numerous”, we mean “most of them”, as the largest category from the report is “Not Specified”, followed by Phishing and Ransomware. Only 34% of the reported attacks were properly described.
A quick overview of the most important stats from this year’s report.
The CEO of the ITRC, Eva Velasquez, labeled this growing concern as a “scamdemic”. From her point of view, the lack of reported details prevents businesses and governments from making the right decisions when it comes to data theft prevention in the future.
2022’s biggest breach by far was that from Twitter. It contributed with 221 million victims of data theft, which equals to 47% of the total reported number. The other members of the esteemed top five list are: Neopets, AT&T, Cash App, and Beetle Eye.
In most instances, the stolen data was limited to a user’s name and social security number, but in other cases it extended to other PII — personal identifiable information, which someone can use to identify or impersonate you.
It's 2023 and we’re still talking about strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA). And given this trendancy, that won’t change anytime soon. Protect your data, people, because companies won’t go out of their way to do it for you.
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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.
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