By Adam McCann | WalletHub
In recent years, many Americans’ personal information has become compromised by big data breaches. In 2018 alone, prominent companies like Adidas, Best Buy, Delta, Kmart, Macy’s and Sears have fallen victim to cybercriminals. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s most recent Data Breach Report, between January 1, 2005 and August 31, 2018, there have been 9,395 breaches. That accounts for over 1.1 billion records compromised.
The federal government and various businesses in recent years have taken more aggressive measures to build up our defenses. The Trump administration recently released a new cybersecurity plan, including taking more offensive measures toward foreign cyberattacks. Despite this, criminal strategies continue to evolve and grow in sophistication, keeping consumers vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.
But some Americans are more susceptible than others to such crimes. In order to determine who is most likely to be exposed to and affected by identity theft and fraud, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across ten key metrics. Our data set ranges from identity-theft complaints per capita to average loss amount due to fraud. Read on for our findings, tips for protecting your personal information and a full description of our methodology.
