"US Data Breaches Surge 68% to All-Time High"

Researchers at the Identify Theft Resource Center (ITRC) have discovered that the volume of publicly reported data compromises in the US soared 68% year-on-year to a record high of 1862.  The researchers stated that the figure was 23% higher than the previous record, set in 2017.  The number of victims was down 5%, continuing a recent trend as threat actors focus their efforts on collecting specific data types rather than acquiring mass troves of data indiscriminately.  The researchers noted that ransomware continues to be a significant driver of the overall upward trend for breaches.  Ransomware is on course to surpass phishing as the number one cause of breaches in 2022, the ITRC claimed.  The manufacturing and utilities sector reported the largest percentage increase in data compromises, up 217% over 2020.  Every sector saw a rise in incidents bar the military vertical, where there were no publicly reported breaches.  The only positive from the researchers' findings was that the number of data events involving sensitive information like Social Security numbers increased only slightly year-on-year.  It nudged up from 80% to 83% over the period but is still well below the record high of 95% in 2017.

Infosecurity reports: "US Data Breaches Surge 68% to All-Time High"