2008 Data Breaches Up Significantly

Data breaches are up for the year 2008 – way up – according to the IdentityTheft Resource Center. As cited in the center’s statistics, there were at least 449 breaches in the first eight months of the year alone. This is compared to 2007’s number of 446 for the entire 12 months of the year coming from the same source.

This increase in data breaches can be attributed to several things: lax company security, smarter identity thieves, and maybe just better reporting of the incidents that occur. No matter what the story is, there’s no doubt that this should be a cause for concern for consumers. Even if just one company has its data leaked to unscrupulous sources, this makes all the difference in the world if that data happens to be yours. And as the number goes up, so do the odds that this will be the case.

Instead of simply worrying about data breaches and feeling helpless to change the situation, you could think of this as your wakeup call to finally sign up for that identity theft protection service that you’ve been thinking about. It won’t just protect you in the case of one breach but will provide ongoing safety as the numbers continue to grow.

Not sure which plan is right for you? Don’t worry. We are here to help, with product reviews, ordering information and discounts on plan pricing. Educating yourself on identity theft and taking action on what you learn is the key to protecting your family both now and for years to come. Don’t wait until that number reaches 1,000 per year to take necessary action. Unfortunately, if trends continue, it will happen soon enough.