Stolen passwords, hijacked email accounts, and compromised credit cards can wreak havoc on your life. If you’ve already been hacked, time is critical. We’ll show you exactly how to take control, recover fast, and lock things down to prevent it from happening again.
It seems like there’s a new data breach every week. Whether it’s an insurance company with millions of customers or a major credit bureau with data on everyone, your personal devices don’t even have to be breached for your data to get lost. But then, every time you overshare on social media or use the same password for more than one account, you up your chances. Even worse, once your data is in the wild, a hacker could access your email or drain your bank account before you even notice the damage. So what do you do if the worst happens? Have You Already Been Hacked?
Last year, National Public Data leaked billions of personal information records, including social security numbers. Regulators punished the company with a $46,000 fine, but those records remain exposed. More targeted breaches exposed data for Home Depot employees, and for teachers and students connected with PowerSchool online education.
When a major hack attack or data breach occurs, it’s all over the news. Frequently, the affected service spins up a web page where you can check whether you were a victim. And you will be a victim, if not this time, then the next. The only upside is that you’re one among possibly millions, so the hackers might never get around to weaponizing your details.
Don’t imagine that you can prevent a breach. The antivirus running on your computer is utterly powerless against a security attack on a remote server. If you lost a crypto fortune in the hack attack on Atomic Wallet, there’s nothing any software on your local computer could have done about it.
Not every hack starts with a well-publicized data breach. A shady online merchant, a credit card skimmer, or even a dishonest waiter in a high-end restaurant could compromise your credit card. The first clue may be unexpected charges appearing on your credit card bill. Always read those bills and determine what every line means, even the small charges. Card thieves occasionally make a few small purchases to ensure the card is “live” before making a big purchase. You can use a personal finance service, like NerdWallet or Quicken Classic, to monitor all your credit card transactions from one place.
Banks are good at fraud detection these days. There’s a good chance you won’t learn about a compromised card until after the bank declines the charges and starts the process of issuing a new card. Getting a new card is a pain, as any automatic payments you’ve configured need the new card number. Still, it’s better than letting hackers buy something expensive with your credit.
Credit card numbers aren’t the only kind of data that hackers can misuse. Scammers can use a compromised email account to broadcast spam or to send targeted email scams to your contacts. Your first clue might be worried phone calls from friends asking if you’re truly stuck in a Dubai airport with no cash or irate messages from those „you“ have spammed with annoying ads.
The antivirus running on your computer is utterly powerless against a security attack on a remote server.
An identity thief can also use your personal information to open credit accounts, accounts you know nothing about. You might only find out about those accounts when a merchant slams the door on your request to open a new line of credit yourself. Cagey consumers use AnnualCreditReport.com to request a free report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion once per year, spreading the requests out at four-month intervals. Yes, Equifax experienced a major breach in 2017 and had to pay $650 million in damages for its negligence, including free credit monitoring or a $125 minimum payout for anyone affected. But you were affected regardless of whether you checked your credit with Equifax.
We appreciate Credit Karma’s ability to pull your credit from TransUnion and Equifax weekly so you can keep an eye on your credit. These are „soft“ inquiries, not the “hard” inquiries that companies make when you apply for more credit.
