What the Equifax Hack Can Teach You About Network Security

As I’m sure you have heard, Equifax, a credit reporting bureau, had its system hacked. Unfortunately, hackers got a hold of over 143 million Americans information, including credit card and social security numbers, as well as phone numbers, addresses, names, birth dates and driver’s license numbers. Essentially anyone with a credit file through Equifax is in danger of their information being sold on the black market. So how can you find out if your data has been comprised?

The first step is to go to equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on the “Potential Impact” tab to find out if your information was exposed. By providing information such as your name and social security number, you can find out if your information was compromised. Even if the site says your data is safe, you should still sign up for credit monitoring, which Equifax is offering to every American for free for one year.

Next, you should sign up for fraud alerts so that you will get notified if someone tries to apply for a credit card in your name. Also, consider credit freezes so that only companies you already do business with have your credit on file. This way, if someone with your SS number and address tries to apply for credit in your name, the company won’t be able to access your credit score, which means the thief can’t open credit in your name. If you want to give a new company access to your credit report, all you have to do is unfreeze it and then freeze it again once they have the information.

This is scary for Americans because having your identity stolen can take months or even years to recover from. But a lesson can be learned from this: Network security is crucial for all businesses no matter the size. Equifax is a huge company, and they allowed hackers to go unnoticed in their system for months. Hackers don’t care about the size of your business, they only care about accessing information, so no one is safe. The last thing your business needs is a data breach, which could mean a loss of clients and potential lawsuits. So, protect yourself, your business, and your clients by ensuring network security. This means the installation of firewalls and antivirus, and always making sure your systems are patched.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Readers Comments

What the Equifax Hack Can Teach You About Network Security

As I’m sure you have heard, Equifax, a credit reporting bureau, had its system hacked. Unfortunately, hackers got a hold of over 143 million Americans information, including credit card and social security numbers, as well as phone numbers, addresses, names, birth dates and driver’s license numbers. Essentially anyone with a credit file through Equifax is in danger of their information being sold on the black market. So how can you find out if your data has been comprised?

The first step is to go to equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on the “Potential Impact” tab to find out if your information was exposed. By providing information such as your name and social security number, you can find out if your information was compromised. Even if the site says your data is safe, you should still sign up for credit monitoring, which Equifax is offering to every American for free for one year.

Next, you should sign up for fraud alerts so that you will get notified if someone tries to apply for a credit card in your name. Also, consider credit freezes so that only companies you already do business with have your credit on file. This way, if someone with your SS number and address tries to apply for credit in your name, the company won’t be able to access your credit score, which means the thief can’t open credit in your name. If you want to give a new company access to your credit report, all you have to do is unfreeze it and then freeze it again once they have the information.

This is scary for Americans because having your identity stolen can take months or even years to recover from. But a lesson can be learned from this: Network security is crucial for all businesses no matter the size. Equifax is a huge company, and they allowed hackers to go unnoticed in their system for months. Hackers don’t care about the size of your business, they only care about accessing information, so no one is safe. The last thing your business needs is a data breach, which could mean a loss of clients and potential lawsuits. So, protect yourself, your business, and your clients by ensuring network security. This means the installation of firewalls and antivirus, and always making sure your systems are patched.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.



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