Identity theft was the #1 consumer fraud complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2009. They estimate that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) Breach Report recorded more than 222 million potentially compromised records in 2009.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the US, costing victims an estimated $5 billion a year. According to the ITRC, in 2009, paper-based security breaches accounted for nearly 26% of known breaches (a 46% increase from 2008).
According to Ernst & Young 2009 Global Information Security Survey, 85% of executives cited damage to reputation and brand as the most significant result of a breach.
According to the Ponemon Institute, the average total cost of a data breach in the U.S. is $6.75 million.