It was last year when the Equifax data breach affected almost 147 million people, but most people did not take action to protect themselves even with the risk of identity theft. Floria Schaub, researcher at the University of Michigan, told Michigan News Network this is called “optimism bias.”
“They’re like, ‘Oh, why should be affected by this, or why would identify thieves go after me?’ The problem is if you don’t become proactive and you don’t change your passwords or you don’t sign up for the identity protection that is offered, the consequences can be dire.”
Schaub says companies should not only report breaches but clearly inform consumers how they are affected, what their risks are and what steps to take to protect themselves.
