When there is a security breach, hackers have access to personal information such as social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and names of family members of over 2.7 Billion people around the U.S. Access to this personal information puts you at risk of identity theft and may give hackers access to open new accounts in your name. Due to security breaches more phishing attempts and scams will increase.
3 Things that Everyone should consider doing at a minimum:
1. Immediately Freeze Your Credit with all three major bureaus--Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
Freeze all three credit reports with the major credit bureaus of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This will prevent others from opening new accounts or borrowing money in your name with loans or credit cards.
You can freeze your credit reports online or by contacting the three major credit Bureaus. This is FREE by law. It is recommended to freeze your credit, not just setup fraud alerts or pay for a credit lock service. A freeze is best. Watch the YouTube video below 👇
Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
2. Monitor your financial accounts
You can do this yourself or sign up for an identity theft protection services like IdentityGuard or Lifelock
3. Change your passwords
As a precaution, change passwords for your online accounts such as banking, social media, and medical accounts if you have not changed them in the past 6 months.
Example of a strong password:
For even more security
4. Enable 2FA on your most important accounts
This will prevent someone from easily logging in with a stolen password.
To setup up 2FA:
Start with your most sensitive accounts, like your bank, credit cards, email, social media, tax filing website, and payment apps.
5. Use a Password Manager
Use a Password Manager like 1Password. and Keeper to securely store and manage all your passwords in one place.
For more details on how to setup password manager, please click one of the links below.
6. Request an Identity Protection Pin from the IRS:
Get an identity protection pin to add an extra layer of security to your taxes and other sensitive information.
Identity protection PIN can be requested through your online account. If you do not have an account on IRS.gov, you can register for a new account
An identity protection pin is a six-digit number that prevents someone else filing a tax return using your social security number (SSN) or individual tax payer identification.
The identity protection pin is valid for only one calendar year. The IRS will automatically generate a new identity protection pin once the calendar year ends. Simply log into your account to see the new identity pin.
Spouses and dependents are eligible for identity protection pins when passing the identity verification process.
If married filing jointly, each taxpayer who has an identity protection pin will have to enter it on their tax return.
7. Register for a SSA.gov account
Sign up for a Social Security account at ssa.gov to monitor your benefits and safeguard your identity.
Add a second identification method to your account. You can choose to use either your cell phone number or your email address as your second identification method. Using two ways to identify you when you sign in will help protect your account from unauthorized use and potential identity theft.
Sign up for an optional extra layer of protection. When you first register for a my Social Security account, you must verify your identity by answering an additional security question. We’ll ask for one of the following:
— the last 8 digits of your Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card; or — information found in your W-2 tax form; or — information from your 1040 Schedule SE (self-employment) tax form.
Signing up for extra security if you already have a my Social Security account. After logging in to my Social Security, go into the “Security Settings” tab to begin the upgrade process.
“Add Extra Security” is the first option in the Security Settings tab. Follow the instructions to add the extra security to your authentication process.
Finishing this process usually takes 5 to 10 business days. An upgrade code will be mailed to your home address.
The letter will also include step-by-step instructions to finalize the security upgrade.
If you know your Social Security information has been compromised you can use Block Electronic Access. You can block any automated telephone and electronic access to your Social Security record. No one, including you, will be able to see or change your personal information on the internet or through our automated telephone service.
If you block access to your record and then change your mind in the future, you can contact Social Security and ask us to unblock it after you prove your identity.
Learn how to report and protect yourself from Social Security related scams by reviewing SSA’s Stop The Scam resource page: Help Us Stop The Scam