Hacked? 4 Steps To Take Right Now To Protect Your Data

Last week, 2.9 billion records of personal data were at risk —  from people in the US, Canada, and Britain —  all stolen from a company that does background checks called National Public Data. Included in this data breach were not just names and addresses, but the holy grail (as far as identity thieves are concerned): Social Security numbers.  In the wrong hands, this information can be used to apply for loans, tax refunds, jobs — all in your name, without you knowing about it (unless you’re super vigilant).

Shockingly, this is just one of thousands of data breaches that have happened so far this year alone, and another sign that your personal data is more at risk than ever. According to The IRTC Annual Data Breach Report, 2023 was a record-breaking year for breaches which found that last year alone, there were 3,205 publicly reported data compromises impacting an estimated 353 million people. That’s a 78 percent increase from 2022. And in 2024, so far, the number of people impacted has already hit 1 billion. 

So what can you do if your information was part of this data breach — or to protect yourself from the one that will undoubtedly occur tomorrow, or the day after that? Tech expert Kim Komando shares 4 steps you can take right now to batten down the hatches online. 

STEP 1: FREEZE YOUR CREDIT

When your data has been leaked in a breach, some recommend putting a fraud alert on your cards, while others advocate for freezing your credit. “Quite frankly, I don’t understand why anybody does a fraud alert and not a freeze,” Komando says. “A fraud alert is just a heads-up. They’ll alert you if somebody is trying to pull your credit. I just want to stop people from pulling my credit, which leads me down the road to a freeze.”

And freezing your credit has never been easier. Here’s the HerMoney explainer on how to do it in detail. You’ll need to contact the three credit bureaus Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. We found that freezing your credit the first time takes about 15 minutes.  If you want to apply for credit, you’ll need to “lift” the freeze with each of the bureaus — figure another 10 minutes for that — but it’ll automatically go back into effect on a date in the future that you select. 

STEP 2: CHECK YOUR STATEMENTS AND SET UP ALERTS

According to research from Bango, the average American now spends a whopping  $924 per year on subscriptions. And while many of us have a fear of checking our credit card statements, it’s critical to do so after a massive data breach. Komando says the first thing you should do is “set up any type of alerts that you can get, whether it’s when [your] credit card is being used and it’s not present,” or if you want to be alerted for charges over a certain dollar amount. 

Next, check the number of subscriptions you’re paying for and whether or not you’re still using them because “we’re living in a time where every time you turn around, some company is saying this is going to be $2 a month, $4 a month, $5 a month. ​​These monthly subscription fees just keep adding up and you may not realize it unless you’re paying attention,” Komando says.

STEP 3: GET YOUR INFORMATION TAKEN DOWN

Komando also suggests that you Google yourself to check what sites have your phone number, addresses, and the names of your family members. Then, opt out of them. While it is free to do this on your own, Komando warns that “it’s almost like whack a mole. Sometimes you have to fill out a form. Sometimes you have to send a fax. Sometimes you have to send a certified letter. You have to jump through all of these hoops.”

As an alternative, there are sites like Delete Me or Incogni that will remove the data for a yearly subscription fee. Komando tried out a few of these sites herself and says she “saw a dramatic decrease in robocalls and spammy texts seemingly overnight.”

STEP 4: SET STRONG PASSWORDS

Setting strong, unique passwords is essential in protecting yourself from a data breach. Komando recommends using a password generator like OnePassword, Keeper, or LastPass. Another option is to “come up with a phrase that you can remember, and then make the numbers at the end unique for whatever site that you’re using,” Komando says. 

Finally, a bit of good news: The annoyance of changing and remembering passwords may soon be something of the past, however. Tech giants are slowly rolling out a new feature called ‘passkeys’ “that use our biometric data in order to sign into various websites and then be authenticated with our phones,” Komando says. 

MORE ON HERMONEY:

• HerMoney Podcast Episode 415: How A Personal Finance Expert Fell For A Financial Scam 
• How To Fix Your Credit Score: 4 Easy Hacks
• The Cybersecurity Risk Is Real: How To Protect Your Accounts

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