The modern world runs on data. Thanks to computers and the internet, more data is created and exchanged today than ever before. A major challenge presented by this quantity of data is keeping it secure. While lots of data is easily collected, it’s also easy to lose. Data in the wrong hands can be dangerous.
In the first 10 months of 2022, 15+ million global data records were exposed, leaked, lost, or stolen. While data breaches can happen anywhere, 64% of all global data losses occurred in the United States. The state of California alone reportedly lost 5.6 billion records in 2022. Data losses are especially troubling because they present no easy road to recovery.
What causes so much data loss in the United States? One issue is size. The US has a large population that uses a lot of data-generating technology. More data generated means more potential for data to be lost. Another major issue is human error. The people in charge of managing data may accidentally delete data. This often happens due to lack of training in digital best practices. Without this training, important data is also vulnerable to cyberattacks like phishing emails, spoofing, or even ransomware.
