Personally Identifiable Information Targeted In Breaches That Impact Billions Of Records

U.S. Consumer Data Breach Report: Billions at Risk Despite Record Security Spend
In 2018, over 2.8 billion U.S. consumer data records were compromised across 342 breaches, costing organizations an estimated $654 billion. The ForgeRock 2019 report reveals that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, health data, and addresses was the top target, appearing in 97% of breaches.

Unauthorized access led the list of attack methods, responsible for 34% of breaches, highlighting critical vulnerabilities in enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) frameworks. The healthcare sector suffered the most, accounting for 48% of all breaches, while financial services saw an explosive rise in breach-related costs — from $8 million in Q1 2018 to $6.2 billion in Q1 2019.

Despite a 12.4% increase in security investments, the findings signal that more robust IAM practices are urgently needed to protect sensitive consumer data and mitigate long-term damage to brand trust and customer loyalty.

Download the full report to discover the latest breach trends, cost implications, and how organizations can better defend against today’s most common attack vectors.