Where public debt is especially high, deficit and debt reduction must be pursued decisively, with a budget composition that is more conducive to growth; where debt is lower, it is possible to support internal demand, especially through investment in infrastructure in order to avoid an overly large net external position which could provide an argument for protectionist policies.
The threats which bother every one of us in this context are multifold, and range from password hacking, card copying/cloning to data and identity theft at various levels of transaction, information storage as well as transmission stage.