Reports about big companies suffering from a data breach seem to become a common recurrence every few months.
Avoiding the Dreaded Data Breach
Reports about big companies suffering from a data breach seem to become a common recurrence every few months. Issues of credit card details, passwords, and emails from customers getting leaked are often shown, but the highlights are often about the companies.
As soon as the controversy starts to fade and another disaster occurs, you as the customer are left with no way of how to protect yourself from said breaches. Due to that, we have created this data breach checklist so you can be well-prepared in the event another data breach scenario occurs:
1. Update Your Password
If you believe your accounts have been affected, then it’s time to reset their passwords now. Once you’re done, also make sure to set up multi-factor authentication. This way, you will be able to protect your account even if cyberterrorists managed to access your credentials. It’s because they’ll still need another authentication mechanism which, in your case, could be your phone.
2. Check Your Accounts
Another thing to consider is to check your accounts for any suspicious activity. You can get a free credit report of the three main credit bureaus from annualcreditreport.com every year. This way, you can have an insight as to any possible activity that might have happened on your accounts.
3. Freeze Your Credit
By freezing your credit, you’re basically restricting access to your credit report. This makes it harder to open another credit under your name. You have the option to freeze your credit or lift it at any time. However, you have to contact each credit bureau to do so.
4. Check Your Inbox
Most cybercriminals will try to take even further advantage of a data breach by contacting victims who are hoping that they will get some kind of communication regarding their accounts. These hackers will then start sending phishing emails disguised as official emails so people will give their account details.
In times of a data breach, it largely helps if you keep yourself protected and aware of the possible solutions you can apply. Fortunately, affected organizations will often provide free identity theft monitoring services during such events.
By keeping this checklist in mind, you can get your accounts and credit protected in any future breaches. Also, to enjoy ultimate security, don’t forget to shred your drives.
