• Approximately 110 million people, or 47 percent of U.S. adults, have had their personal information exposed by such attacks, according a study by CNNMoney and the Ponemon Institute, a cybersecurity research firm. Attacks will likely become more frequent as Internet and mobile device use grows, but hacker culture is also becoming more sophisticated. CNNMoney

• With 1.5 million annual cyber attacks, online crime is a real threat to anyone on the Internet. That number means there are over 4,000 cyber attacks every day, 170 attacks every hour, or nearly three attacks every minute. CBS News

• Data breaches targeting consumer information are on the rise, increasing 62% from 2012 to 2013, with 594% more identities stolen. That added up to a staggering total of $18,000,000,000 in credit card fraud for the year. CBS News

And…

• Every two seconds, a new identity theft occurs. Source: Javelin Strategy & Research, 2014

Need more? Geez, I hope not. I can put so much more mind boggling, spirit choking, sweat inducing grim statistics up here, its ridiculous. The worst part is, its not exaggerated. This is real, folks. It is officially the Wild West online now, and there is no end to this in sight. As long as we want to live in a free world. What this means is, every single person who wants to live with an online presence, or use digital tools, currency, or virtually any form of modern communication and mobility, has to get smart, vigilant, and proactive with their digital life, or suffer the consequences.

The options to protect ourselves are sometimes complicated and costly, but not always. The trick is to do what is necessary first, and then grow up the next level, if, or when, you need to. The only compelling decision you must make now is to do something. The time to wait is over.

If you’re ready to get serious about protecting yourself, get in touch and let us know your concerns. We’re here to help!