According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, reports of identity theft more than doubled from 650,000 in 2019 to nearly 1.4 million in 2020. (Credit: Twinsterphoto/Shutterstock.com) According to the Consumer Sentinel Network, reports of identity theft more than doubled from 650,000 in 2019 to nearly 1.4 million in 2020. (Credit: Twinsterphoto/Shutterstock.com)

From 2019 to 2020, the U.S. experienced a 311% increase in ransomware attacks, with victims paying out a total of $350 million. Experts believe one important contributing factor for this kind of attack is the number of employees working from home. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the country to work remotely, creating the perfect storm for hackers.

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