Data Breach? Here's What You Need to Do to Stay Safe

When it happens, you feel powerless. You receive an email or letter from a business notifying you that your data has been breached. This scenario occurs far too often today.

Data breaches can affect banks, online platforms like Facebook, and e-commerce stores. Even governments are not immune, exposing sensitive information such as your address, TFN, and credit card details to criminals.

While you have little control over a business being hacked, there are essential steps you can take afterwards. Below, we’ve outlined the most crucial actions to mitigate financial losses.

Change Your Passwords

The first thing you should do is change your passwords. Start by changing the password for the service that notified you of the breach. Then, update the passwords for other accounts using the exact login details. Using unique passwords for each site is essential to prevent multiple accounts from being compromised. Utilise a password manager to help generate and manage strong, unique passwords, allowing you only to remember one password to access all others.

Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security, even if a hacker has stolen your password. Start by enabling MFA for the breached service, then make sure you activate it for all other accounts wherever possible. MFA, also known as two-factor authentication or two-step verification, commonly uses:

Text messages
Authentication apps
Security keys

Check Your Bank Accounts

If your payment card details were breached, monitoring your bank accounts closely is crucial. Keep an eye on them for several weeks to detect any fraudulent charges. If you spot anything suspicious, report it to your bank immediately. They can issue you a new card to prevent further issues.

It’s also important to notify your bank about the third-party data breach. Doing so helps ensure you’re not held responsible for any fraudulent transactions. Your bank can guide you through the necessary steps to protect your finances.

Carefully Review the Breach Notification

It’s essential to understand how the data breach could affect you fully. Start by thoroughly reviewing the breach notification you received. Additionally, visit the company’s website for updates.

Key things to look for in the notification:

The type of data that was exposed (e.g. passwords, card numbers)
Any reparations the company is offering (such as credit monitoring)
Instructions on how to secure your account

Keep checking the company’s website regularly. Sometimes, they may not initially know the full extent of the breach, and you could find out later that more sensitive data was exposed.

Get Good Cybersecurity Protection

Ensure you’re using the right security tools to safeguard your device and network. Consider these simple but effective protections:

A reliable antivirus/anti-malware program
DNS filtering to block access to malicious websites
Email spam filters to detect phishing attempts

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is also an excellent tool, especially when using public Wi-Fi. VPNs are easy to set up and can help protect your computer and mobile devices by masking your online traffic.

Be On the Lookout for Phishing Scams

Data breaches often expose email addresses, which may lead to an increase in phishing emails. These emails can be hard to identify because criminals use AI to make them more convincing.

To protect yourself from phishing scams, follow these best practices:

Hover over links to check where they lead
Avoid clicking links in emails or text messages—go directly to websites
Be cautious of messages from unknown senders
Be aware of phishing attempts on social media and through text messages
When in doubt, double-check information through official channels

Make Sure to Update Software & Systems

Unpatched vulnerabilities are a prime target for hackers. To avoid this, make sure your software and systems are always up to date.

Update your device operating system
Update all apps and software on your devices
Update firmware for routers, printers, and other connected devices

Since updating everything can be overwhelming, setting updates automatically is an intelligent way to stay protected.

Managed Security Services You Can Count On

Managed security services can help ensure your protection at work and at home. If you’re looking to improve your device security, we’re here to help.

Data Breach? Here’s What You Need to Do to Stay Safe