BELLINGHAM, WA – (KGMI.com) Data breaches in Washington continued to decline for a second straight year, though they remain historically high.

That’s according to a new report from State Attorney General Bob Ferguson that highlights the significant threat that data breaches pose to Washinton residents.

Four million data breach notices went out to residents this year, slightly down from last year’s total of 4.8 million breaches, but still the third highest total ever.

The state saw an all-time high in 2021 when it recorded 6.5 million data breaches.

Data breaches are defined as the unauthorized acquisition of data that compromises the security, confidentiality or integrity of any personal information.

The AG’s Office is notified of a breach when it has affected more than 500 Washingtonians.

It received 133 notifications of data breaches this year, with 86 of those resulting in the compromise of a resident’s Social Security Number.

Ferguson concluded the report by recommending that policymakers give residents more transparency and control of their personal data.

Read the full 2023 Data Breach Report here.

Click here to access the Data Breach Database.