--- title: Identity Thefts Had Huge Surge in 2020 description: Identity Thefts Had Huge Surge in 2020 --- [Securafy Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) - [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) - [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) - [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) / IT Operations IT Operations # Identity Thefts Had Huge Surge in 2020 Identity Thefts Had Huge Surge in 2020 ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) By Randy Hall Updated Jul 2024 3 min read Share [**](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2021/02/13/identity-thefts-had-huge-surge-in-2020) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2021/02/13/identity-thefts-had-huge-surge-in-2020&text=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EIdentity+Thefts+Had+Huge+Surge+in+2020%3C%2Fspan%3E) [**](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EIdentity+Thefts+Had+Huge+Surge+in+2020%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https://blog.securafy.com/2021/02/13/identity-thefts-had-huge-surge-in-2020) ![](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png)Trends come and go in the hacking world. A few years ago, stealing credit card numbers was the crime of choice for most of the hackers out there. They've since begin to gravitate toward health related information. The two big trends in 2020 were the rampant increase in ransomware attacks against companies of all shapes and sizes and the preference of hackers to focus on identity theft. Both of these crimes saw huge increases last year, but the number of identities stolen last year reached a mind-boggling record of 1.4 million in 2020, which is more than double the number reported in 2019. While there are a number of different factors that have fed into this trend, the biggest and most influential one seems to be the ongoing pandemic, which has created a whole raft of opportunities for hackers to exploit. The government's Paycheck Protection Program has created a confusing maze that can be hard for some out of work people to navigate. The hackers and scammers of the world are only too happy to insert themselves in the process, offering assistance as a ruse to gain personal information. In a similar vein, with tens of millions of people out of work and state unemployment systems struggling under the strain, there have been delays in getting benefits that sometimes span months. Again, this raises legitimate questions which hackers and scammers are only to happy to pretend to answer. They use social engineering techniques and pretend to offer assistance in getting needed benefits more quickly, only to steal the target's identity. Given this, the IRS has recommended that all taxpayers at least consider taking the time to establish an Identity Protection PIN when filing their taxes this year. This is essentially a form of two factor authentication that will help ensure that if you're due a refund from the IRS, someone who has stolen your identity won't file taxes on your behalf and steal it from you. It's sound advice but sadly, this won't be the last threat we'll need to be mindful of in the months ahead. Stay vigilant out there. Tagged Under IT Operations[Cybersecurity](https://blog.securafy.com/tag/cybersecurity)Business Continuity In This Article Need Help With Your Current Setup? Talk through your current systems, risks, and support gaps with Securafy. [Book a Strategy Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) ## Join The Conversation Have a question or perspective on this topic? Add it below. ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) About The Author Randy Hall · CEO & Founder Randy Hall is the CEO and Founder of Securafy, with decades of experience helping organizations make smarter, safer decisions about technology. A frequent speaker and instructor at national IT events, Randy has advised thousands of organizations, from startups and SMBs to large enterprises and U.S. government entities, on secure, practical technology adoption. He writes about the decisions business leaders are often expected to make without enough context, including cybersecurity, compliance, AI, cyber insurance, IT strategy, and business resilience. Outside the office, you’ll often find Randy on Lake Erie enjoying time on his 38-foot Chris-Craft. **Writes about:** Cybersecurity strategy, compliance, AI security, business resilience, cyber insurance, SMB risk, IT leadership [More From This Author →](https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall) Related Articles Business Continuity [Compliance Risk Assessment: How Downtime Impacts Your Bottom Line](https://blog.securafy.com/compliance-risk-assessment-how-downtime-impacts-your-bottom-line) When systems go down, compliance obligations don't pause—and the financial consequences ... 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