The Equifax breach is a big deal. Over 140 million people have had their personal information stolen. That is why I was fortunate to get to speak with Eran Sinai, the CEO & founder of ID CyberCenter earlier this week.

Video Summary

There is no place that has more data about us than credit bureaus. This includes social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, birthdates, banks, credit cards, where we lived, employers, and more. You can find out if your data was potentially breached at equifaxsecurity2017.com.

Before you sign up for credit monitoring, here are some important things to do:

• Check your current credit report. You can get a free report from each of the three agencies at com. Review it for inquiries and accounts that are not yours.
• Change passwords. Use different passwords for each account and make sure it is not a simple password.
• Beware of phishing emails. You may receive emails that look like they are from your bank telling you to update information. They could be phishing emails that are trying to get your password information. Do not click on links in the email. Go directly to your bank’s site by typing the URL directly into your browser.
• Watch your credit card and bank statements very closely. There may be small charges where they are testing out using your card, and then you will get hit hard.
• Freeze your credit with the three bureaus. While it is a little bit of a hassle and there is a small fee, it prevents people from opening credit in your name.
• Consider third-party monitoring. Be sure to read the fine print. Not all services are the same. It’s not only about your credit. People could use your information to get a driver’s license in another state or a payday loan.
• File your taxes. If you have not done it already, get your taxes filed. People can fraudulently collect your refund if you have not.

We appreciated all that Eran shared with us. And if you are looking for third-party monitoring, Eran’s company offers one of the most comprehensive identity protection services available. You can learn more at https://idcybercenter.com/products-and-plans/

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