adminResults from a new Pew Research report show a surprising number of Americans have been affected in some way by data breach issues, and 49 percent feel their private information is in jeopardy.The survey examined several different types of data theft and found that 64 percent of U.S. adults have been impacted by at least one of them.
The research says 41 percent of Americans have encountered fraudulent charges on their credit cards, 35 percent have received notices that some type of sensitive information (like an account number) had been compromised, 16 percent say that someone has taken over their email accounts, 13 percent say someone has taken over one of their social media accounts, and 15 percent have received notices that their Social Security number had been compromised. It also points out that 14 percent say that someone has attempted to take out loans or lines of credit in their name, and six percent say that someone has impersonated them in order to file fraudulent tax returns.
At the same time those responding express skepticism about whether the businesses and institutions they interact with can adequately protect their personal information, a substantial share of the public admits that they do not always incorporate cybersecurity best practices into their own digital lives. Read more at Pew.
