7 On Your Side steps to take to keep personal information safe amid latest data breach
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A major data breach involving 2.7 billion records held by a Florida-based company has led to at least eight class-action lawsuits.
The background check business National Public Data admitted to the hack by cybercriminals, which put personal information up for sale on the dark web.
7 On Your Side has the steps to take to protect your personal information amid another breach that has exposed private details.
Nina Pineda says it's not really if you will get breached, but when. Because so much of what we do is online, it can be like the Wild Wild West for bad people fighting against the good guys -- but the good guys are trying to stay a step ahead of the cyber attacks.
In this most recent hack, millions of Americans may have had their names, emails, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and mailing addresses compromised.
The SSA is not happy because this hack has the potential to expose billions of dollars in monthly benefits, making it easier to reach people and pretend you are the Social Security Administration and try to get victims to release bank account details.
7 On Your Side reached out to the SSA and they said to:
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission
- File a report with the local police
- Monitor your credit report and report fraud to credit agency
A few cybersecurity firms created a free way to check online to see if your data was involved, including one called Pentester. It may ask for your name, state and birth year -- but don't put your information into any site that asks for more than that.
There are also pros and cons to freezing your credit:
PROS
- It's free
- Prevents opening of fraudulent new accounts
- Peace of mind
CONS
- Inconvenience opening accounts you want
- Unfreezing requires contacting credit agencies
- Must remember a pin and password
- Not 100% guaranteed
RELATED | Hackers may have stolen the Social Security numbers of every American. Here's what to know
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