3. More People Could Be Exposed Than the Numbers Suggest
Companies have the choice not to report breached data to the public, meaning that the current estimates for data exposure could be much higher than predicted. In fact the report estimates that, though 429 million identities were reported to be exposed, the number may actually be closer to 500 million, a veritable iceberg of exposed data.
“The increasing number of companies choosing to hold back critical details after a breach is a disturbing trend,” said Kevin Haley, director of Symantec Security Response. “Transparency is critical to security. By hiding the full impact of an attack, it becomes more difficult to assess the risk and improve your security posture to prevent future attacks.”
