what to do if my data has been leaked

what to do if my data has been leakedA data breach is a confirmed incident in which sensitive, confidential or otherwise protected data has been accessed and/or disclosed in an unauthorized fashion. Data breaches may involve personal health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII), trade secrets or intellectual property.

As part of our managed IT services, CTTS offers Dark Web Monitoring. This around-the-clock monitoring involves constantly scouring millions of sources like the dark web and other private and public forums for signs of compromised credentials from a data breach. We can securely see if your credentials or other information associated with your email address (and other data) are for sale on the dark web.

When we alert someone to a breach, we let you know what next steps you should take to resolve the issue or suggestions to deal with the information provided in order to ensure that your identity and your company is safe.

Here are the 5 things to do when alerted to a website breach:

  1. Check the Source - Read the breached website’s alert on the breach. They may have already taken action – resetting your password, for example, or offer credit monitoring. Get with the breached party directly, never click breach related links in your email without digging deeper first.
  2. Assess the Damage - Determine what information was affected: https://www.identitytheft.gov/Info-Lost-or-Stolen. It might be user names and passwords or more. From there you can determine how to react. For one thing, if your password was breached, you will change your password. On the other hand, if sensitive personal information was leaked, you will want to enact more extreme measures
  3. Change all the Passwords Associated - Change that password on the affected site immediately. If you reuse the same password on other sites, change those to something unique and secure. If you haven’t already, set up a password manager and multifactor authentication when available.
  4. Pay Attention - If payment information was stolen, alert your bank immediately. Keep an eye on your accounts for fraudulent purchases for a few days as well.
  5. Secure Your Future - Get a fraud alert from the credit-reporting bureaus. If personal information was requested, this will provide peace of mind that no one will be opening a new credit card in your name with your social security number. If you think your information may have been involved in a data breach, don't wait, get a confidential Dark Web check today!

At CTTS, we are happy to assist you in managing your business technology in a way that best suits your business needs and priorities. For more information, Contact CTTS today at (512) 388-5559, we are the local IT Support and Managed Services Provider for Georgetown, Round Rock, Austin, and the surrounding areas, and we're happy to provide a free Business Technology Assessment for you and your business, and help you determine what your business needs technology-wise. We handle IT so you can focus on what you do best.

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By Josh Wilmoth
CEO, Central Texas Technology Solutions