Are New Yorkers Taking the Right Steps to Protect Their Data?

It's time to talk about something that affects all of us in this digital age – our online privacy. A recent consumer survey on digital privacy is letting us know how Americans, including New Yorkers, are protecting our personal information.

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We've all done this, we're surfing the internet, scrolling through social media, and taking it all in. But have you ever thought about how safe your personal data is? According to the survey by US News, Americans seem to be aware of the risks but not many of us are doing anything to protect ourselves.

We're talking about identity theft, spam, phishing, along with our personal or financial information being leaked. Only a few of the respondents said they used password managers or kept a close eye on their credit after the breach.

In 2023 alone, there were over 2,100 reported data breaches that affected around 66 million people. It's not just small either because big companies like T-Mobile and 23andMe have had their fair share of  breaches too.

The survey also said that 65% of the responders worry about potential cyber threats in 2024. That is a legitimate threat and fear for all of us. We've seen major cyber attacks like ransomware that has caused chaos and cyberespionage campaigns.

Do You Have Personal Cybersecurity Insurance

Here's some surprising news,. only 6% said they have personal cybersecurity insurance. That's like leaving your front door wide open and hoping for the best! If feels like something that we've seen in the movies but it's happening in real life.

More than three out of five responders in the survey admitted to having a data breach at some point with 44% getting more than one breach notification. It's a serious issue, and almost half of the respondents seem to think it's just a matter of time until they fall victim to a data breach.

We can't forget about those emails that try to trick us into giving away our more sensitive info. 80%  feel good in spotting a phishing email. But, more than a third of us have accidentally clicked on a phishing link. I've done that, how about you?

Finally, let's not forget about our passwords. We all know they're a big deal and we have many different passwords that we use. Only 27% said they were using a password manager. Using the Notes app on your phone or having the same password for every account is just not going to cut it.