"2018 in Numbers: Data Breaches Cost $654 Billion, Expose 2.8 Billion Data Records in the U.S."
According to ForgeRock's U.S. Consumer Data Breach Report, 2.8 billion consumer data records were exposed in 2018, which costs U.S. organizations more than $654 billion. Although investments in information security products and services have increased, organizations continue to face cyberattacks in which cybercriminals seek to gain access to sensitive data. The report highlights that personally identifiable information was the most targeted type of data in 2018. Healthcare, financial services, and government were also cited as the most impacted sectors by cyberattacks between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. This article continues to discuss key findings of the report in relation to the types of data exposed in recent breaches, the most frequent attack methods, and the most impacted sectors, along with what organizations can do to protect consumer data.