Security Breach Protection: What Do I Do?

Last Updated on September 17, 2020 by Ellen Christian

As much as I love the ease of shopping and taking care of business online, it comes with risks as well. A few weeks ago, I got a replacement credit card in the mail. It had me momentarily confused because it wasn’t time to renew my card and I hadn’t ordered a replacement. I opened the envelope thinking maybe they had just upgraded the look of the card and wanted everyone to have a new one. But, no, that wasn’t it.

Security Breach Protection: What Do I Do?

It seems that my credit card had been used by a retailer that had a security breach. They were replacing my card as part of their efforts in offering security breach protection to anyone who might have shopped there (like me). When there is a security breach at a store or business, it can have disastrous effects including unauthorized charges on your credit card and  identity theft.

Thankfully, this time, all they got was my credit card number but what if they had gotten my social security number? How would I know? Unlike a credit card where I see a charge I don’t recognize, how would I know if someone stole my social security number? They could hold onto it for months or even years before they used it. The recent Anthem Blue Cross security breach could effect up to 80 million customers!

Stores, insurance companies, doctor’s offices, schools, etc. all have your information stored on their computer systems. Sometimes, the information isn’t handled properly and an unauthorized person gets access to your information. Sometimes, online hackers infiltrate their programs and get access that way. This can give someone access to your financial information, social security number, health information or bank information. This can result in identity theft or other types of fraud.

A data breach happens when confidential information, like your Social Security number, credit card number or health information, is exposed or accessed by someone you didn’t authorize. Studies show that people who receive a data breach notification letter are more than four times as likely to become victims of identity theft! LifeLock can help. The new LifeLock Ultimate Plus program offers several new activity alerts that add peace of mind against identity fraud in a digitally connected world.

It’s so important to be aware of these security breaches as soon as they happen. The quicker you learn of the breach, the easier it will be to deal with. LifeLock can give you this peace of mind. LifeLock detects threats and sends you alerts through their patented LifeLock Identity Alert® system. This helps stop identity fraud before the damage is done.

Have you ever been the victim of a security breach? What did you do?

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