Technology

PROTECTION FROM IDENTIY THEFT AFTER DATA BREACH

1.SAD FACT OF DATA BREACH

Every breach, no matter how big or little, serves as a warning that data breaches occur often and that we may be impacted, whether they involve millions of records or are only a few of the thousands that have harmed healthcare providers. In any scenario, this may result in the fraudulent use of credit and debit cards, the emptying of bank accounts or, in the worst situations, the complete assumption of the identity of another person.

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2. EXAMPLES

All things considered, data has the ability to uncover several facets of a victim’s life, each having a monetary worth of its own, making it a sort of currency unto itself.

  • U-Haul – 2022: Between November 2021 and April 2022, a breach in their customer contracts system disclosed 2.2 million renters’ identities, state ID numbers, and driver’s license information.
  • Facebook – 2021: Information on over 530 million users, including phone numbers, account names, and Facebook IDs, was made public by two sets of data.
  • In 2017, Equifax disclosed around 147 million records containing personal information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and Social Security numbers. Additionally, a smaller group of 200,000 individuals had their credit card details compromised.

3. TOP 8 WAYS TO PROTECT

If a person is impacted by a breach, they can take the following precautions to guard against any potential negative effects:

3.1 REGULAR CHECK ON BANK AND CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS

Examining your statements is one of the best methods to find out if someone is using one or more of your accounts fraudulently.

3.2 MONITORING RESPECTIVE IDENTITY

Information that has been compromised or stolen frequently finds its way onto dark web markets where criminals, con artists, and hackers buy it in order to carry out additional crimes.

3.3 PLACE FRAUD ALERT

This guarantees that any recent or new requests are examined, and it also gives you additional copies of your credit report, which you may use to look for any unusual behavior.

3.4 FREEZE CREDIT IF NEEDED

When you freeze your credit, all attempts to draw your credit—legitimate or not—are stopped, making it extremely difficult for thieves to obtain loans or start new accounts in your name.

3.5 UPDATE PASSWORD

Make sure you vary your passcodes so that in the unlikely event that one is stolen, hackers cannot access all of your accounts simultaneously.

3.6 TAKE COVERAGE

It assists you in recouping the expenses of identity theft as well as the time and money required for recovery.

3.7 CLEAN PERSONAL DATA ONLINE

The truth is that data broker firms are a part of a global market estimated to be worth $200 billion USD annually, and they gather and sell thousands of bits of information about millions and millions of individuals worldwide.

3.8 USE ONLINE PROTECTION SOFTWARE

This includes using a VPN to safeguard your online activities from prying eyes and prevent online data gathering while thwarting identity fraudsters looking to steal credit card and account details.