Data Breaches That Could Lead to Identity Theft by Cause and Identities Exposed

In the second half of 2007, the primary cause of data breaches that could facilitate identity theft was the theft or loss of a computer or other medium on which data is stored or transmitted, such as a USB key or a backup medium. Theft or loss made up 57% of all data breaches during the second half of 2007 and accounted for 46% of all reported breaches in the previous reporting period.

Source: Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, Vol. XIII