By Greg Wright
MBA, CFE, CFP®, CLU, ChFC
Certified Fraud Examiner
National Speaker
The
number of U.S. data breaches reported last year decreased from 2018’s all-time
high, but the number of consumer records exposed containing sensitive information
more than doubled!
An important observation is the number email-related
credentials stolen. Because a majority of consumers use the
same username/email and password combinations to access multiple accounts, this
creates serious vulnerability.
This
increased hacking of consumer email
related data is very serious and, with
even more consumer information in the hands of fraudsters, the identity theft risk
to consumers continues to increase.
Email
continues to be the weakest area of security for the average consumer. As indicated in my Greg’s Talk, “Electronic
Home Invasion” consumers should avoid using their email address as
their user name.