Everyone’s idea of a nightmare is finding out their data has been leaked in a big-time company breach, yet this seems to be happening more and more. Once you’ve given your sensitive data like your credit card info and personal identification numbers over to a company, it’s up to the company that now has that data to keep it protected. But few companies have flawless security systems, and breaches sometimes happen.
You’ll likely find out about a data breach after the fact, and by that time, hackers may have been able to use your data for nefarious reasons. But there are a few telltale signs that you can be on the lookout for that are red flags alerting you to the fact that something is going on with your data. Here are four signs your personal data may have been leaked in a breach, and tips on how to protect your information.
1. Password Reset Requests
If you start receiving notifications that an account is trying to reset your password or emails alerting you to the fact that your password has been reset for a website or app that you use, this is a scary first sign that someone has gained hold of your accounts is trying to reset the password so that they can access your information.
2. Credit Theft Alerts
Once your data has been compromised, hackers will try to gain access to your banking information, including credit card numbers. If you start receiving credit theft alerts from credit monitoring services, this is an indication that something is awry and your info has been stolen. Take these alerts seriously and follow up on them.
3. Strange Account Activity
When your information has been hacked, you’ll likely begin receiving emails about login attempts to various websites from different computers and strange transactions on different accounts. These are a clear indication that someone is trying to get into your accounts and it’s only a matter of time before they do — or that they’ve successfully cracked the code on some of accounts.
4. You’re Receiving More Phishing Emails
Emails that phish for your information are always a problem, and may not be an indication that your data has been leaked and compromised. But if you’re receiving an influx of phishing emails from specific accounts asking for your personal information, these could be a sign that your information has been leaked in a data breach.
How to Protect Your Information
It may not be possible to protect your data from a breach 100 percent of the time, but there are steps that you can take to safeguard your data as much as possible.
Use strong, complex passwords: Don’t settle for passwords that are simple to figure out, including those that contain the names or birthdates of people in your life. Make your passwords lengthy (12 characters or longer) and complex, with a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Whenever possible, enable 2FA so that websites require two forms of security to access your information — your password and a code sent to your email or phone.
Update software: Keep your iOS updated: Apple issues updates to combat problems and bugs in the system, and it’s important to download these updates as soon as possible.
Don’t Become a Phishing Victim: Just say no to clicking on suspicious links sent to you from suspicious email accounts. They can lead to your data being acquired against your will.
Monitor Accounts: Regularly monitor your financial accounts to make sure no one has gotten their hands on your personal information. The sooner you spot a problem, the easier it is to fix.
