Breach - What to do if I am part of a breach

1. Change your passwords

Now is a good time to review all instances where a password is required to access information. If the same password is used across multiple websites, immediately reset the password at each of those sites. Keep in mind that each account should have its own unique password, made up of numbers, letters, and symbols. Never use information such as your date of birth or any part of your Social Security number as part of your password. The longer a password is, the harder it is to guess.

2. Don’t click on email links

Criminals often use phishing attempts to try to get you to disclose more personal information to help them further their attempts at committing potential identity fraud. Never open an email from an unknown sender and avoid downloading file attachments and clicking on embedded links.

3. Verify a website is safe

It’s always best to type out a website address instead of clicking on a link from an email, no matter how legitimate the email may look. Before submitting any personal information, be sure the webpage address begins with ‘https’ and look for the closed padlock symbol either in the address bar or at the bottom of the screen which indicates a secure connection.

4. Monitor your financial statements

Even if your financial information is not identified as being compromised in a known breach, be sure you monitor all of your financial documents for any suspicious activity and report it immediately as identity thieves could gain access to this information through other methods. 

5. Notify the appropriate authorities

If you discover your information has been compromised, file a police report and contact your financial institutions alerting them that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to reach out to each of the three credit bureaus and issue a fraud alert. Review your credit reports thoroughly and immediately report back any inconsistencies.

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