The government isn’t the hardest hit sector when it comes to cyberattacks but federal and military organizations have been getting hammered for years, according to a recent report from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and IDT911.
The business and health fields have taken the brunt of cyberattacks since ITRC started tracking breaches in 2005. The two sectors account for 35.6 percent and 27.9 percent of breaches, respectively, while government and military came in at 14.4 percent. Education came in a close fourth at 14.1 percent, with the financial sector bringing up the rear at 7.9 percent.
Report: IDT911 and ITRC Announce More Than 6,000 Breaches Since 2005
According to ITRC research, 6.2 million records have been stolen or compromised so far in 2016, “adding to the more than 851 million records exposed over the last decade.”
Social Security numbers were the main target across sectors and government and military were no exception.
Since 2005, some 57.4 million Social Security numbers connected to government employees and military personnel have been compromised. For comparison, theft of credit and debit card information topped out at 389,000.
While hackers are definitely targeting civilian and defense agencies, “employee error and/or negligence” was more predominant than in other sectors, accounting for 61 breaches and exposure of 7 million records.
“Raising employee cyber hygiene awareness is as essential as the air we breathe,” Adam Levin, chairman and founder of IDT911, said on the reports release. “Similarly, consumers should be on high alert and practice the 3 Ms: Minimize their risk of exposure, monitor their accounts and manage the damage in the event they are compromised.”
The report also notes the increase in attacks on IRS systems, particularly during tax season. This year, the IRS reported a 400 percent increase in attacks during the months of January and February.
“Tax refund fraud continues to rise creating almost unbearable issues for victims nationwide,” ITRC CEO Eva Velasquez said. “It is our belief that the 575 healthcare breaches since 2010 — that have exposed more than 142 million Social Security numbers — are contributing to this increase”.
“From hotel chains, medical centers and healthcare insurers to universities, retailers and the government, data breaches have become the third certainty in life,” Levin said. “Companies need to create a culture of privacy and security from the mailroom to the boardroom. That means making the necessary investment in hardware, software and training.”
