For the first time, people in the 35- to 64-year-old age bracket reported unauthorized device access to be a bigger problem than scams, according to a new report from the Identity Theft Resource Center.
The report found that unauthorized access to computers and mobile devices increased by 78% year-over-year, from 15.3% to 27.2% of all identity compromises. Over the same period, scams involving the sharing of personal information declined from 43.1% to 36.1% of identity compromises.
The report also found that more than a quarter of victims — 25.6% — of identity crimes are involved in two or more concurrent incidents. This is an increase from 23.5% last year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Other takeaways from the report:
- While 53% of victims with no financial loss reported a resolution, only 9% of those with financial impact resolved their cases. Among those who experienced three or more financial impacts, none reported a resolution.
- Fraudulent employment is now the most common crime against minors. It accounts for 40% of misuse cases for children and dependents.
- Attempted misuse cases caught by financial institutions rose by 26.8%, suggesting that while automated fraud detection is improving for credit accounts, systems for employment and government benefits are lagging.
“Identity crimes are no longer isolated, single events,” said ITRC Chief Operating and Programs Officer Mona Terry in a press release about the report covering identity compromises related to devices, scams, and more.
“They are becoming increasingly complex. It is not just about the number of crimes, but also the pattern they follow. A single compromise can trigger a chain reaction that spreads across multiple accounts and institutions, making it much harder for people to recover.”
The ubiquitous router suddenly is a wildcard in the security sector. In March, The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) updated its Covered List to include consumer-grade routers made in foreign countries. The new rules, however, only apply to new device models and have other exceptions.
A piece of good news in the fight against criminals and online crime was reported in February. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reported that they developed a method of detecting if a devices — such as a smartphone — had been tampered with.
