Massive data breach exposes Social Security Numbers and more: What should you do?
A major data breach at National Public Data, a background check company, has potentially exposed the personal information of a significant number of people. While the company hasn't officially confirmed the breach, they are investigating claims that 2.9 billion records were stolen.
What was stolen?
Names
Address histories
Information on relatives
Social Security numbers
What should you do?
Freeze Your Credit: This is like locking your front door. It's the most effective way to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name. If you didn't do this after the Equifax breach, it's time now! A credit freeze makes it virtually impossible for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Lenders can't access your credit report without your permission so that they won't approve any applications. You'll need to temporarily lift the freeze if you want to apply for new credit, which can be a bit of a hassle. But the peace of mind knowing your credit is locked down is worth it. (Here is a great article on how to Freeze your credit by Investopedia)
Monitor your credit reports: Monitor your credit reports for any suspicious activity. It's like checking your bank statements regularly.
Be wary of phishing scams: Legitimate companies and government agencies will never call, text, or email you out of the blue asking for your personal or financial information. They also won't call to tell you your computer has a virus and offer to fix it! If you receive any such communications, it's a scam!
Strengthen your password security: Think of your passwords as the keys to your kingdom. Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for each account. No more reusing or slightly changing the same old password!
Consider additional Protection: Services like DuckDuckGo's Privacy Pro and Norton’s LifeLock can help scrub your data from data brokers and help you recover in the event of identity theft.
Taking precautions is always a good idea, even if you're unsure if your information was included in the breach. As always, I am here if you have any questions or want help with any of this.