What should I do after my data is exposed in a breach?
Short answer
Change the affected password and any reuse of it, turn on multi-factor authentication, and watch for phishing that uses the leaked details. If government ID numbers or financial data were exposed, consider a credit freeze and monitor your bank statements.
The details
In the United States, credit freezes are free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and stop new credit from being opened in your name. IdentityTheft.gov provides a recovery plan if your identity is misused.
Breach notifications are themselves imitated by scammers. Read the notice on the company’s official website rather than following links in an email.
What to do
- Change passwords and enable MFA.
- Freeze your credit if identity numbers leaked.
- Watch bank and card statements closely.
- Be extra careful with messages that mention the breach.
Terms explained
- Identity theft
- Identity theft is the use of someone’s personal information, such as their name, ID number or financial details, to commit fraud in their name.
- Multi-factor authentication
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires two or more kinds of proof to sign in, such as a password plus an app prompt, security key or biometric unlock of a passkey.
- Phishing
- Phishing is a fraudulent message, usually email, that impersonates a trusted sender to trick people into revealing credentials, paying money or running malware.
Sources
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