More than half of Americans have had personal data exposed by cyber criminals on at least one of their accounts and 44 percent have had it happen to them multiple times. A recent U.S. News report focuses on the increasing number of cyber attacks targeting individuals.
The “Digital Privacy Survey Report 2024” gathered responses from around 1,200 adults across the U.S., exploring issues ranging from password habits to whether individuals have personally experienced a data breach. Alarmingly, 61% of respondents reported that at least one of their accounts had been compromised at some point. Of that group, 44% said they’d been victims of data breaches multiple times.
Despite these concerns, there is some optimism. About 80% of respondents are confident they can recognize phishing emails, and 42% claim they’ve never clicked on one. Additionally, 55% believe it’s possible to avoid being the victim of a data breach entirely, and 48% trust that using a password manager app would keep their information secure.
The digital privacy survey also revealed a concerning gap between awareness and action. According to the report, “Americans largely understand the risks of using the Internet—identity theft, spam, phishing, loss of personal or financial information, and more. Yet a relatively small percentage are taking expert-recommended steps to protect their data, such as using password managers to create strong passwords or pursuing credit monitoring after a breach.”
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance says four key behaviors that are essential best practices for strong security:
- Using strong passwords and a password manager
Bitdefender research into the online behaviors of more than 10,000 people around the world revealed that 50% use a single password for all online accounts, and nearly one-third (32%) reuse just a few passwords across multiple accounts.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication
MFA protects businesses by adding a layer of security that can block 99.9% of attacks stemming from compromised accounts.
- Updating software
Having outdated software on your computer can cause vulnerabilities and exposures in
your operating system, which allows cyber criminals to gain access to a person’s computer and all their valuable information. Threat actors see these vulnerabilities as open doors to your system, giving them the opportunity to hack in and plant malware.
- Recognizing and reporting phishing
According to reports, 91% of all attacks begin with a phishing email to an unsuspecting victim.
The key takeaways? While Americans are aware of the dangers, many still aren’t doing enough to protect themselves. Taking proactive steps, like using identity theft protection services like Enfortra, are a critical component of a robust cybersecurity defense plan.
