Summary: Data breaches are growing bigger, faster, and more costly – and no one’s immune. Learn the steps to take if your information is exposed, and how to protect your accounts before it happens.

When it comes to protecting personal data, there are only two kinds of consumers: those who've already had their information exposed in a breach and those who will eventually. Which group is bigger? Hard to say. But there’s no question that data breaches are far too common, and everyone needs to know what steps to take if it happens to them.

Breaches bigger, more frequent than ever
Back in 2017, breaches seemed staggering: 145 million Equifax users, 57 million Uber drivers, 198 million voter records, and 3 billion Yahoo accounts – all exposed.

Fast forward to today:

• In 2024, the National Public Data breach compromised nearly 3 billion records, including Social Security numbers and personal details.
• Just last month, researchers uncovered a massive compilation of 16 billion leaked credentials – logins and passwords from platforms like Google, Apple, and Facebook – making it one of the largest data leaks ever.
• In the healthcare sector alone, more than 276 million records were exposed in 2024 – an average of 758,000 records per day

These numbers aren’t just mounting, they’re multiplying.

Why breaches keep happening
Hackers exploit weak spots like unpatched software, misconfigured systems, lax access controls, along with the most unpredictable factor of all: people.
Today, more than 46% of all breaches involve stolen personal information (names, emails, SSNs), and 86% stem from compromised credentials. 

What to do If you’re impacted
If you receive a reliable breach notice, here’s what the Federal Trade Commission recommends:

1.  Contact the breached company to freeze or close compromised accounts.
2.  Change all related passwords, PINs, and login info.
3.  Place a fraud alert with one of the big three credit bureaus.
4.  Get a free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com or sign up for our free credit monitoring tool.
5.  Report the incident at IdentityTheft.gov or call (877) 438 4338.
6.  Consider filing a police report if fraud occurs.
7.  Ask about fraud victim assistance from the company.
8.  Let your bank, credit union, and credit card companies know your info may be compromised.

Later, you can close impacted accounts, correct your report, and request a longer fraud alert or a credit freeze.

Prevention pays 
As long as personal data is stored, especially in cloud databases, the threat it faces isn’t going away. Companies and people must remain vigilant even as criminals get smarter. Globally, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 hit $4.88 million – a 10% increase over the previous year. It now takes organizations about 204 days to detect a breach and 73 days to contain it. Make sure you do your part to avoid becoming a victim by following these tips:

• Keep your software updated with the latest patches.
• Only download from trusted sources, not pop-ups.
• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA), password managers, and unique passwords.
• Monitor your accounts and consider credit freezes if you suspect exposure.