Nearly 3 billion people are affected by a recent data breach at a background check company. A large database compilation filled with billions of users’ credentials was published just last month. Customers with AT&T, ADT, and countless other firms have had their sensitive data stolen by cyber criminals recently.
Data breaches are seemingly on the rise. Many times, there’s little to nothing that the average consumer can do about it. Sometimes, affected individuals aren’t even aware that their data was part of a breach.
If you do find out that you’re the victim of a data breach, that means a company that has your data was compromised. Hackers, scammers, thieves, and other nefarious individuals now have access to data about you.
[Update: Meta responds] Scammers are using Meta’s copyright takedown tool against influencers
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself:
Change your passwords
First things first, change the password of the account affected by the data breach. Oftentimes, there’s so much data stolen that most users will have a chance to stop any unauthorized use of their account.
Yes, you’ve been told time and time again to not use the same password for multiple accounts, but we know that you have. Cybercriminals can easily make the connection to those other accounts so go and change the passwords for any secondary accounts tied to your name or username that are the same or similar to the one that has been stolen.
Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication will stop any unauthorized access to your account, even if someone else has your password. If the service or platform in question offers two-factor authentication, it’s highly recommended that you turn it on.
There are two basic types of two-factor authentication: one that texts users a code, and one that requires the use of an authentication app — usually (but not always) on a mobile phone. Since phone numbers can be stolen and SMS messages can be intercepted, it’s highly recommended that users go with an authentication app. When signing into a platform once an authentication app has been enabled, a user will be required to open the mobile app, temporarily memorize the constantly changing code that appears on their screen, and input it into the platform that they are trying to access.
Monitor your accounts
It’s important to know exactly what accounts on what platforms were affected to discern exactly what type of information could have been stolen. Services like haveibeenpwned.com help users monitor whether their account credentials have been stolen in a data breach.
Even if you know which account was affected in a breach, you should still check to see if there were any cascading effects that made its way to your other accounts.
After finding which accounts were affected, check with the company who experienced the data breach to see if they have any additional information or recommendations as to what their users should do to protect themselves.
Check your credit reports
Be on the lookout for the worst case scenario: Your identity being stolen as a result of a data breach.
It’s certainly horrible to find a social media account compromised and going through a platform’s process to regain access is never fun. But that ordeal pales in comparison to the headaches you’ll have in store if someone used your data to access your bank account or commit fraud.
It’s important to monitor your credit report if there’s a breach at a company that stored relevant financial-related data. You can get a completely free credit report at annualcreditreport.com. In addition, services like Credit Karma provide a free daily summary of your credit score and report information.
If you are a victim of identify theft, it’s important to immediately contact your bank and the credit institutions. You’ll need to freeze your credit, apply for a new credit card number, and even potentially close accounts. Victims of identity theft can report a crime as well at identitytheft.gov.
Again, most users will likely find that they just need to change passwords and sign up for two-factor authentication. But, if you’re one of the more unlucky victims of a data breach whose victimizer crossed over from from stealing data to stealing money, you need to be proactive and take action to protect your finances as soon as you can.
