State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman revealed shocking figures of data breaches in New York, exposing more than 7.3 million people in 2013 alone.
Cybercrime is a sensitive subject that has got people around the world worried about the safety of their personal information on the Internet. Several renowned establishments that store customers' confidential details such as credit card info, addresses and SSN are frequently exposed in data breaches. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman released Tuesday, an annual report of data breaches in New York and the cost to the New York State, which is alarming.
According to the newly released data from AG's office, more than 7.3 million New Yorkers' personal information was exposed in data breaches in 2013 alone. The number has more than tripled between 2006 and 2013, with more than 22 million personal records hacked in nearly 5,000 security breaches over the last eight years. The cost to the New York State is $1.37 billion in 2013.
"As we increasingly share our personal information with stores, restaurants, health care providers and other organizations, we should be able to enjoy the benefits of new technology without putting ourselves at risk. Unfortunately, our expansive look at data breaches found that millions of New Yorkers have been exposed without their knowledge or consent," Attorney General Schneiderman, said in a press statement.
The report further detailed 2013's data breaches that counted more than 900. The security attacks on Target and Living Social, a website that offers deals on restaurants, travel and more, widely contributed to the record-setting data breaches last year.
In a bid to protect people from falling prey to hackers, Schneiderman listed a few recommendations on how to protect information online such as using encryptions, creating different passwords for different accounts, keeping personal info discreet, carefully monitoring credit and debit card statement each month and preventing from posting sensitive information on social media sites.
Fox News cited one such incident of Jacquie Flanagan who was a victim of a cyber attack. According to the report, Flanagan was charged with $700 worth tennis equipment without her knowledge. After having the issue resolved, she takes extra precaution.
"Now I have one separate account that I only use online purchases for," she said. "So if that card number is exposed, I know that I have very limited funds in that account, and it doesn't touch the rest of my money. But I'm gun shy with what happened last time."
