How to Protect Yourself From the Latest Government Data Breach
A massive cyberattack has exposed the personal data of millions of Americans who have interacted with various federal and state agencies, including the Department of Energy, the Office of Personnel Management, and the health departments of Louisiana and Oregon. The hackers exploited a flaw in a popular file-transfer software called MOVEit, made by Progress Software, and accessed sensitive information such as names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and vaccination records¹².
The breach is part of a broader hacking campaign that has also hit hundreds of organizations across the globe, including American Airlines, Ford Motor Co., and New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Federal officials have attributed the campaign to a Russian ransomware gang¹².
The data breach poses a serious threat to the identity and financial security of the affected individuals, as criminals may use the stolen information to commit fraud, identity theft, phishing, or other malicious activities. Therefore, it is crucial to take steps to protect yourself and your credit from potential harm. Here are some tips on how to do so:
- **Freeze your credit**. A credit freeze prevents new accounts from being opened in your name by locking your credit reports at the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This way, even if someone has your personal information, they cannot use it to apply for credit in your name. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is free and does not affect your credit score. You can do it online or by phone at each bureau's website⁶⁷.
- **Place a fraud alert**. If you don't want to freeze your credit or you are in the middle of applying for a loan or a mortgage, you can opt for a fraud alert instead. A fraud alert notifies potential creditors that they should verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name. A fraud alert lasts for one year and is renewable. You only need to contact one of the three bureaus to place a fraud alert; it will notify the others⁶⁷.
- **Check your credit reports**. You are entitled to one free credit report from each bureau every 12 months through AnnualCreditReport.com. Through 2023, reports are available weekly. You should check your reports for any signs of unauthorized activity, such as new accounts, inquiries, or balances that you don't recognize. If you find any errors or fraud, you should dispute them with the bureau and the creditor as soon as possible⁶⁷.
- **Monitor your credit card activity**. A data breach can also expose your existing accounts to fraudulent charges. You should review your credit card statements regularly and look for any transactions that you don't recognize or authorize. If you spot any suspicious activity, you should report it to your card issuer immediately and request a new card number⁶⁷.
- **Switch from text-based MFA to an authentication app**. Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a security feature that requires a second factor besides your password to log into your online accounts. MFA can prevent hackers from accessing your accounts even if they have your password. However, not all MFA methods are equally secure. Text messages can be intercepted or spoofed by hackers, so it is better to use an authentication app such as Google Authenticator or Authy instead¹⁶.
- **Create complex and unique passwords**. One of the easiest ways to protect your online accounts is to use strong and different passwords for each one. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, symbols, and cases. A different password means that if one account is compromised, the others are still safe. You can use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely⁶⁷.
- **Beware of phishing emails**. Phishing is a common technique used by hackers to trick you into revealing your personal or financial information or clicking on malicious links or attachments. Phishing emails often look like they come from legitimate sources, such as banks, government agencies, or companies you do business with. However, they may contain spelling or grammar errors, urgent or threatening language, or requests for sensitive information that they should already have. You should never reply to or click on anything in a phishing email; instead, delete it or report it as spam⁸⁹.
By following these steps, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud after a data breach. However, you should also be proactive and vigilant about your online security at all times, as data breaches can happen anytime and anywhere.
Sources:
¹: [Millions of Americans’ personal data exposed in global hack - CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/16/politics/cyberattack-us-government/index.html)
²: [Data leak exposes tens of millions of private records from corporations and government agencies - CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/24/tech/data-leak-microsoft-upguard/index.html)
³: [Data Breaches That Have Happened in 2023 So Far - Updated List - Tech.co](https://bing.com/search?q=recent+government+data+breach)
⁴: [Top 10 Biggest Government Data Breaches of All Time in the U.S.](https://www.digitalguardian.com/blog/top-10-biggest-us-government-data-breaches-all-time)
⁵: [The latest government data breaches in 2020/2021 - PortSwigger](https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/the-latest-government-data-breaches)
⁶: [What to Do After a Data Breach - Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/data-theft/what-to-do-after-a-data-breach-a7749505463/)
⁷: [How to Protect Yourself After a Data Breach - NerdWallet](https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-protect-yourself-after-data-breach)
⁸: [How to help protect yourself from data breaches - State Farm](https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/residence/how-to-help-protect-yourself-from-data-breaches)
⁹: [How to Protect Yourself From a Data Breach - oatley-diak](https://www.oatleydiak.com/post/data-breach-protection)
Source: Conversation with Bing, 8/4/2023
(1) Millions of Americans’ personal data exposed in global hack - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/16/politics/cyberattack-us-government/index.html.
(2) Data leak exposes tens of millions of private records from ... - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/24/tech/data-leak-microsoft-upguard/index.html.
(3) What to Do After a Data Breach - Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/data-theft/what-to-do-after-a-data-breach-a7749505463/.
(4) How to Protect Yourself After a Data Breach - NerdWallet. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-protect-yourself-after-data-breach.
(5) How to help protect yourself from data breaches - State Farm. https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/residence/how-to-help-protect-yourself-from-data-breaches.
(6) How to Protect Yourself From a Data Breach - oatley-diak. https://www.oatleydiak.com/post/data-breach-protection.
(7) Data Breaches That Have Happened in 2023 So Far - Updated List - Tech.co. https://bing.com/search?q=recent+government+data+breach.
(8) Top 10 Biggest Government Data Breaches of All Time in the U.S.. https://www.digitalguardian.com/blog/top-10-biggest-us-government-data-breaches-all-time.
(9) The latest government data breaches in 2020/2021 - PortSwigger. https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/the-latest-government-data-breaches.
(10) The Now: Protecting Yourself from Data Breaches - GCFGlobal.org. https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/thenow/protecting-yourself-from-data-breaches/1/.
