Data for 70 million Americans stolen in 2014

More than 70 million Americans reported that their personal information was compromised in 2014, with many incidents stemming from data breaches, according to a new survey.

The incidents were not enough to prompt most victims to change their behavior, the survey found; about half of people whose information was stolen said they did nothing to modify their actions online.

{mosads}The findings, released Thursday by Consumer Reports, echo previous research that revealed a roughly 28 percent rise in data breaches from 2013 to 2014.

The Identity Theft Resource Center counted a record-high 783 U.S. data breaches in 2014, and a variety of studies have shown that online data theft is getting more prevalent.

Hackers are eager to gather information from the least valuable, such as credit card numbers, to the most valuable, such as Social Security numbers and health insurance information, in order to perpetrate fraud.

The survey underscored that data breaches affect more than just online retailers.

Seventy-nine percent of people notified about a data breach were told by a brick-and-mortar store or a financial institution, compared with 18 percent who were notified by an e-commerce site, according to Consumer Reports.

The publication urged data breach victims to be on guard for phishing scams, accept credit monitoring services and look for suspicious transactions on their bank statements.

Consumes Union, the magazine’s advocacy arm, also called for action on federal bills to protect consumer data, such as legislation recently introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

“Congress needs to set strong federal standards for defending consumer data while allowing states to enact or maintain more stringent laws if necessary to protect their residents,” said Consumers Union Senior Director of Federal Policy Ellen Bloom.