We clearly have a responsibility to safeguard customer information. If we lose information, it's our responsibility to inform consumers because that's the only way they can protect themselves.

Educating the entire population is key to early detection and ultimately prevention of the crime in the first place. In addition, providing support in the identity recovery phase can speed response time, protect assets and preserve an individual's integrity.

While there are interesting differences among the various ethnicities, the survey shows identity theft is a crime with the potential to impact anyone.