According to a survey conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), approximately 80% of respondents reported receiving at least one data breach notice in the past year, with nearly 40% having received three to five notices. The survey, which included 1,040 individuals, found that 88% of those who received a notice experienced negative consequences, such as increased phishing attempts, spam emails, or account takeover attempts.
The ITRC’s annual report reveals that the number of data compromises has increased by 5%, with 3,322 incidents reported in 2025 compared to 3,152 in 2024, marking a record high since the organization began tracking data breaches two decades ago.
This increase comes amid scrutiny of the government’s handling of sensitive personal information, particularly at the Social Security Administration (SSA). A recent Justice Department court filing has raised concerns about alleged mismanagement of personal data within the agency, citing possible violations of existing policies and a temporary restraining order related to access to personal information.
Notably, a whistleblower report from the SSA’s former chief data officer has pointed to significant data security vulnerabilities, suggesting risks to the personal information of over 300 million Americans. The SSA has stated its commitment to safeguarding personal data and is reportedly conducting an internal review.
Experts advise consumers to take proactive measures to protect their personal information, as they may not have complete visibility into how their data has been compromised. Recommended actions include signing up for Informed Delivery services, registering for property fraud alerts, freezing credit with major bureaus, setting up account alerts, utilizing passkeys, using a password manager, and enabling multifactor authentication for sensitive accounts.
The ITRC report indicates that the financial services, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, and education sectors were the most affected by data compromises in 2025.
Source: Reported based on publicly available information from www.cnbc.com.
