Personal Data Thefts Jumped 7 Percent in 6 Months

[Audrey McNeil <audrey () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456599,00.asp

Large-scale security breaches have folks on edge about the security of
their personal information, and for good reason. According to a recent
survey by the Pew Research Center, 18 percent of online adults have had
important personal data poached.

That includes including Social Security number, credit card, or bank
account information, and is up from 11 percent just six months earlier.

Meanwhile, 21 percent of online adults claim to have had an email or social
networking account compromised or taken over without permission. The same
volume reported this trouble in a July 2013 survey.

"Last week's discovery of the Heartbleed security flaw is the latest in a
long string of bad news about vulnerabilities of digital data," Pew senior
researcher Mary Madden wrote in a blog post.

The Heartbleed OpenSSL weakness has flown under the radar for two years,
affecting almost 70 percent of active websites, and allowing scammers to
steal personal information undetected.

Meanwhile, there was Target's holiday-shopping-season credit card breach
and the January theft of 1.1 million credit and debit cards from Neiman
Marcus, which have left some consumers weary.

"The consequences of these flaws and breaches may add insult to injury for
those who have already experienced some kind of personal information
theft," Madden said.

The number of folks affected is on the rise: In 2013, 7 percent of adults
ages 18 to 29 knew their personal data was stolen. This year, Pew counted
as many as 15 percent among the same age group. People 50 to 64 years old
also became significantly more likely to report data theft, jumping from 11
percent to 20 percent in six months.

Despite tech companies' efforts to secure their users, many are still
worried about the amount of personal information available online. In fact,
50 percent of people surveyed in January reported concerns—up from 33
percent in 2009.

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