In case you haven't heard, Equifax failed us all by initially failing to properly protect the data they collect from each of us then once they were aware of the issue they failed to react for two months. It's likely that your information has been exposed including your name, social security number, birth date, address(es), credit card numbers. Your driver's license number may also have been exposed. I'll share a few ideas of things you should consider doing to protect yourself:
Add credit card alerts (if possible) with your credit card company. This wouldn't stop anyone from using your card, it allows you the opportunity to know that your card has been used so you can take quick action to prevent more fraud.
Monitor your existing credit card accounts regularly. If you depend on a paper statement you're at a disadvantage because you won't have real-time access to charges. Sign up for online access to your accounts (read information below about verifying your PC and home network are secure) then review your accounts at least weekly.
Add a FRAUD ALERT with the credit bureaus. A fraud alert tells any lender that they must contact you to verify your identity before issuing credit in your name. You need only set an alert with one bureau, they automatically notify the other two. The known short fall is that the alert is only good for 90 days, but it can be renewed. I suggest that you contact TransUnion or Experian to set up the alerts.
Consider adding a credit freeze to all three credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). The initial cost to add the freeze has been lifted, but there are other very important disadvantages, namely the hassle to use your credit in the future.
Monitor the information the credit bureaus are collecting about you once every 4 months. Set a reminder to request your free credit card report once a year from each of the credit bureaus. It's important to schedule them individually and at different times of the year. I suggest that you schedule a request to one of the bureaus every 4 months.
Monitor your credit score. Many credit companies and banks offer a free service that allows you to review your credit score. Watch for changes then take action to find out what's going on.
The breach exposed all of us to more than the risk of someone ruining our credit. We're now exposed to things like medical identity theft and criminal identity theft. Review my post related to protecting your medical information.
Be sure that you're not unwittingly exposing yourself to local hackers who may be able to steal information from your home computing equipment or smart phones/tablets:
Other ways to thwart hackers:
Ensure your equipment is well protected. Be sure that you're running on an up-to-date operating system (Windows 10, Mac OSX, etc.); run current virus/malware protection; set a strong password on your home computer
Secure your home network. Configure a secured wired/wireless router including use of encryption (WPA2), set a unique SSID (or the name of your wireless) and password, and consider the use of VLANs to separate wireless traffic into separate segments; set a strong admin account password on your home router and
Set strong usernames and passwords for all Online Accounts. Set strong & unique passwords for all online accounts and credit card accounts. Use an electronic password safe to store usernames and passwords.
Ensure Smart devices (phones, tablets, etc) is running the latest operating system. Be sure your operating system is up-to-date.
WiFi use: Stop automatically connecting to any open WiFi network. Lifewire has a nice article that provides the details you'll need here: https://www.lifewire.com/avoid-automatic-connection-to-wifi-networks-818312
It's likely your information is available to hackers. The Experian breach isn't the first, and likely won't be the last. If you don't take care of yourself, who will?
