Politico quotes Cyber Statecraft Initiative Director Jason Healey on the likelihood that internet shoppers will have their data stolen during the holiday season:
We called [2013] the year of the data breach. Then we had 2014,” said Atlantic Council expert Jay Healey, a former White House and financial sector official. “Now 2014 is … the year of the data breach. We’re not seeing any diminishing of the numbers of stories, so certainly you can imagine that 2015 will also be year of the data breach.”
And the risks escalate with the start of the holiday shopping season, as cybercriminals are very much aware of the flurry of shopping.
“I’d bet that the growth of data breaches during the holiday season is very much tied to the growth of Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” Healey said. “Hunters are more likely to be out when there’s more prey to be hunted.”