October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In the spirit of promoting greater awareness of how to protect your data (see Personal Data Defense article from September), below are some tips on what to do if you are hacked.
- Confirm the Breach: verify whether your personally identifiable information (PII) has indeed been compromised; check for unusual account activity, notifications from financial institutions, or alerts from the compromised service or organization.
- Change Passwords: if the breach involves an online account, change the password immediately; use a strong, unique password for each account, and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available.
- Contact Affected Institutions: if your financial accounts or credit cards are involved, contact your bank or credit card company to report the incident; they can help you monitor your accounts for unauthorized transactions.
- Credit Freeze / Alerts: consider placing a credit freeze on your credit reports with the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion); this restricts access to your credit report, making it more challenging for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Alternately, you can place a fraud alert on your credit reports, which requires creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before granting credit.
- Monitor Your Accounts: continuously monitor your bank, credit card, and other financial statements for unusual or unauthorized transactions. Review your credit reports regularly to check for fraudulent accounts or activity.
- File a Police Report: if you believe your identity has been stolen, file a police report; this documentation may be required by banks, creditors, or other organizations to prove that you’re a victim of identity theft.
- Report to Government Agencies: contact the Federal Trade Commission at gov to report the identity theft or data breech; they provide resources and guidance for victims.
- Notify Creditors and Utility Companies: inform your creditors and utility companies about the situation; they can help you investigate and resolve fraudulent accounts or charges.
- Update Online Accounts: review your online accounts, including email and social media, for any signs of unauthorized access; change passwords and enable MFA where possible.
- Document Everything: keep a detailed record of all communications and actions taken regarding the breach; this documentation may be necessary for resolving any issues that arise later.
If you’ve managed to avoid being hacked, that’s certainly a good thing! But knowing what to do if your data security is breached can save you time, aggravation, and money.
-RK