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Re-activateNot only are data breaches from criminal attacks on U.S.-based companies' financial and customer data on the rise, but your odds of being promptly informed if you're a breach victim aren't very high, according to a new data breach report just released by the Ponemon Insitute.
The report analyzed data breaches at 45 U.S. companies from 15 different industry sectors. It found that breaches due to malicious attacks and data-stealing botnets— rather than human negligence or computer system glitches—doubled from 2008 to 2009.Only about 36 percent of participating organizations notified victims within one month of the breach, however. The report identifies such companies as "quick responders," and notes that their costs per record stolen ended up being higher than for companies that waited longer to notify victims.
The "main driver" of breach-related costs for the companies is the "abnormal churn or turnover of customers resulting directly from a data breach incident," the report concludes. In other words, companies may not tell you promptly of a data breach because they don't want to lose you as a customer.
If the fear of losing customers may be leading companies to take their time notifying data breach victims, it's all the more important to learn how to guard against and spot warning signs of ID theft. Here's where you'll find that information, along with tips on how to respond if you find your personal data has been exposed or stolen. —Andrea Rock
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