"People Don't Realize They're Data Breach Victims"

Most participants in a recent study conducted by the University of Michigan School of Information did not know that their email addresses and other personal information had been involved in data breaches. Researchers presented facts from up to three breaches to 413 individuals that included their personal information and found that people were unaware of 74 percent of the breaches. This finding raises concern because if people do not know they are data breach victims, they cannot properly protect themselves against the implications of a breach, such as an increased risk of identity theft. The study also found that most data breach victims blamed their personal behaviors for the incidents. These behaviors include reusing the same password for multiple accounts, using the same email for a long time, and signing up for sketchy accounts. Only 14 percent attributed the problem to external factors. However, Adam Aviv, associate professor of computer science at George Washington University, says the fault for breaches almost always lies with the inadequate security practices of affected companies, not by breach victims. This article continues to discuss key findings from the study, what people should do when their data has been stolen, and how future data breaches could be prevented. 

NextGov reports "People Don't Realize They're Data Breach Victims"