No one likes a hacked account. A hacked account can result in financial loss, identity theft, or just a whole lot time spent digging yourself out of a hole. None of which is fun. If you happen to find yourself on the receiving end of a data breach or one of your accounts is hacked, here’s what you should remember.
Login Credentials
Immediately once you learn that you have been hacked or that there is a data breach, your login credentials should be changed. You need to change your login credentials on every account you have. That’s right. Think of all of your accounts, and change the credentials. Even if just one of your accounts was hacked, the likelihood of your other information being compromised is very high. The sooner you get around to doing this, the better off you’ll be. If you change your logins before anyone gets inside your account, then obviously they won’t be able to get inside your account at all. Even if they manage to crack your login credentials, it won’t do them any good. Those credentials will be old by that time.
Emails
When criminals hack their way into a database, they can stand to take a lot of information. Some valuable. Some not. But one of the things they will likely gather is your email address. Your email address is a window into personal information and a big piece to their hacking puzzle. Surprisingly, if they have your email address, they don’t need much else to send a rather legit phishing email your way. But your email address isn’t the only thing they might have. In all likelihood, they probably have a few personal details, as well. It is extremely important to be cautious when reviewing emails from “trusted” sources. Think twice about clicking links, downloading attachments, or fulfilling any requests – even if it looks 100% legitimate.
Credit Report
After a breach, hackers can take a lot of personal information about you. If they have enough of the right information, they can potentially steal your identity. After a breach, monitor your credit report carefully. Depending on the severity of the breach and the type of company breached, there might be free credit monitoring services offered. However, if there aren’t, you can always create a free account on Credit Karma.
Credit Cards
Finally, keep a close eye on your bank statements. You may even need to request a replacement for any credit card used or saved on the site that was hacked. Keep in mind, this doesn’t just apply for websites like Target and Amazon – where you purchase actual goods. It could be a site like LinkedIn, who gives you the option to pay for a higher level membership, or sites where you pay for a monthly service.
At Magnitech, we will always review any and all suspicious emails or inquiries for our customers. We are happy to review and consult so that we can minimize and prevent damage to accounts or private company data.
