As I am sure you are aware, there was a major security breach for the credit bureau, Equifax.  What you may not know is how the breach occurred.  Let me assure you that the method used to steal our personal information was not as sophisticated as you may think.  Simply put, there was an unpatched vulnerability in the website that created a hole that cyber criminals exploited.  Yes, just like almost every other cyber security breach, a simple patch would have either prevented or a least made it more difficult to steal your information.

With that said, here are a couple of things you can do to help protect your identity and your credit:

1. Do not open emails from people who you are unfamiliar with.  There will definitely be an increase in email scams.  In fact, be cautious of opening unexpected emails from people you know.  A quick phone call before you open the message can prevent a lot of trouble.
2. With regards to your now stolen credit information, reach out to all credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax) and setup a profile so that you will be alerted of attempted unauthorized use.  You should also consider freezing your credit to prevent anyone from using it.  Keep in mind, if you freeze it, and you try to use it, you will be required to go through an identity verification process to unfreeze it.  Each Bureau has it’s own process.
3. Be vigilant – Sign up for a credit monitoring service, and review your credit report regularly to ensure there are no improprieties.

We hope these tips are helpful.  If you or your company has any questions about vulnerability management for your organization, reach out to me directly at devon.carter@cartekconsulting.com