Data breach victims top 1 billion so far this year
Trends that set a record in 2023 are continuing
By: Betty Lin-Fisher
USA Today
..... You're not imagining things if you feel that there have been more notifications about hacks or victims of data breaches lately.
.....
The number of data breach victims surpassed 1 billion for the first half of 2024, according to a new report from the Identity Theft Resource Center.
..... "The takeaway form this report is simple: Every person, business, institution and government agency with view date and identity protection with a greater sense of urgency," Eva Velasquez, the center's president and CEO, said in a news release.
..... Last year [2023] was record-breaking for data compromises, but the trend from the first half of this year [2024] have shown a major jump in victims, said Identity Theft Resource Center chief operating officer James E. Lee: a 409% increase from the same time prod last year. [2023]
..... To be sure, almost all the victims were tied to "a handful of mega-breaches such as Ticketmaster and Advance Auto Parts," Lee said.
..... The Ticketmaster breach has an estimated 560 million victims, based on
unverified information from the threat actor claiming responsibility for the attack, which accessed customers' personal information.
..... The Advance Auto Part breach had exposed 380 million victims' sensitive records, according to the ID Theft Center's data breach database.
..... But there was still an increase in data compromises, the center said, with 1,571 data breaches reported in the first half of 2024, a 14% increase from the same period last year. [2023]
.....
And the new numbers don't include the victims of the Change Healthcare supply chain attack, Lee said, referring to a breach announced in February [2024] of a company that processes one-third of all U.S. patient health records.
..... In addition, a leak of 10 billion passwords - a combination of old and newly acquired -was uploaded to a hacker site on July 4. [2024]
.....
Dubbed the RockYou2024 leak, that breach was reported after June 30 [2024] and so will be included in the numbers for the third quarter, said lee.
..... There was also a 23% increase in stolen driver's license information in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, Lee said.
..... "It's fair to say that the trends we saw in 2023 that led to a record-high number of compromises in a single year are continuing, and some are accelerating," he said.
..... Here are some Online security tips from the Identity Theft Resource Center:
* Use multi-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection through another verification method, like a text code sent to your phone, a phone call or an authenticator app.
* Use unique passphrases for every account: Use a 12-plus-character passphrase, or a phrase unique to you, instead of an eight-character password. Do not reuse the same passphrase for multiple websites or accounts.
* Use secure payment methods Online: shop only trusted websites and use trusted payment methods. If you shop at an unfamiliar site, use a payment method that has a dispute resolution process, like a credit card or PayPal.
* Never pone a link from an unknown source: Don't click on links or download attachments via email or text unless you are expecting something from a peons or business you know.