Pleasant Hill, CA – Protecting Your Data from Security Breaches: Equifax Aftermath
The Equifax breach affected millions, leaving their personal information stolen. This can be a terrifying occurrence with the amount of identity theft in the world today. Social security numbers, addresses, and even driver’s license numbers were taken. One of the scariest details with this theft was the absence of a trail to the perpetrator. There was no evidence of unauthorized access to the Core Consumer and Commercial Credit Reporting Databases! Since the consumer oversees their own financial future, we have put together some integral information about protecting your identity and information.
Credit Monitoring – Equifax is offering one free year of their credit monitoring service for individuals. In addition, there is a website that offers details as to WHO was affected by the breach. ( www.equifaxsecurity2017.com ) This can tell you if your information was compromised. Remember that enrolling in free credit monitoring does not protect you from identity theft, it just allows you to catch incorrect information quickly.
Password Protection – The most common mistake made by individuals is duplicating passwords throughout different accounts. This might be the easier route, but this leaves you open to hacking and information vulnerability. Instead, use unique passwords for each account using a series of number and letter combinations. If allowed by the particular site, also use special characters such as ) & % # ~. Avoid names, dates, and favorite items, as these are the first to be guessed. I attended a recent security workshop in San Francisco and the experts agreed that, while password complexity is very important, password length is the most important factor. I recommend using a password length of at least 14 characters for important sites and over 23 characters for financial, medical and other critical sites.
Security Software – Invest in a virus and malware protection software that keeps your computer safe from viruses and information theft. There are many available both free, and for a fee. The fee-based software generally works better than free security software. We currently recommend and sell Malwarebytes version 3.0 which protects against both viruses and other malware.
Would you like to hear more about the Equifax Breach? Are you interested in hearing more ways to keep your information protected? Reach out to speak to our team today!
Written by: Cantrell Computer Sales & Services, Inc. – Pleasant Hill, California
