California AG Releases Report Detailing 2013 Data Breaches, 18.5 Million Californians Impacted
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BrianAJackson/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — California Attorney General Kamala Harris released a report on Tuesday detailing 167 data breaches reported in 2013 that may have impacted 18.5 million Californians by putting their personal data at risk.
“Data breaches pose a serious threat to the privacy, finances and personal security of California consumers,” Harris said in a statement. She called for more encryption in an effort to “significantly reduce the risk of data breaches.”
The Office of the Attorney General said that reported data breaches increased by 28 percent in 2013 — from 131 to 167 — while the number of Californians affected increased more than sixfold, from 2.5 million to 18.5 million.
Harris pointed to malware and hacking as the top causes of breaches, with physical loss or theft, unintentional errors and intentional misuse as the other notable causes.
Consumers are advised to constantly monitor their credit and debit card accounts for suspicious transactions and to change passwords on any account linked to any potential data breach, among other advice.
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