What to Do If You’ve Been Involved in a Data Breach

There are still times when people and businesses are involved in data breaches, no matter how stringent their security measures are. You can minimize the financial impact of the breach with the right steps; don't panic.?

For Individuals?

For individuals whose information was involved in a data breach, you can protect yourself and your accounts with a few simple steps:?

Contact financial institutions: First, call your bank, credit card company, or credit union and alert them of the breach; they can check your account for suspicious activity and if need be, close your account and open a new one.?

Freeze credit reports: Freezing your credit report means that identity thieves won’t be able to open accounts in your name. And no, it won’t affect your credit score. To freeze your reports, contact the credit bureaus directly either online or over the phone:?

Equifax?

Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services?

800-685-1111?

Experian?

Experian.com/help?

888-397-3742?

Transunion?

TransUnion.com/credit-help?

888-909-8872?

For Businesses?

When it comes to data breaches, things are much more difficult on the side of the business than they are on the side of the customer; so much so that it may be worth it to hire cybersecurity professionals to help you out. Nevertheless, here’s a brief overview of what’s involved.?

Fix vulnerabilities: While this may sound obvious, your first step should be to fix the vulnerabilities to prevent further data loss, which again, could require hiring a forensics team or legal counsel.?

Secure physical areas: Make sure that your office is physically secured and change all access codes.?

Remove improper information: If your website was vandalized, remove all vandalism and any false or malicious information from other websites by contacting them directly.?

Interview people who discovered the breach: Whoever discovered the breach probably has better insight into its causes than most, so make sure to talk with them about it extensively.?

Do not destroy the evidence: Hard as it may be, try not to tamper with evidence, as it could be used to catch the perpetrator.?

Notify affected customers and relevant agencies: You may have to either notify your customers or government agencies about the breach, depending on your state’s laws.?

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