Getting Past Data Breach Apathy

After its massive data breach exposed the personal information of almost half of the American population, Equifax offered free credit freezes to anyone who wanted to sign up. Credit freezes normally cost money and they are powerful protection against some forms of financial fraud, so you’d think millions of people would now have their credit frozen harder than a popsicle at the North Pole. However, less than one percent of consumers have frozen their credit. Problems with the Equifax website may have stopped some people from signing up, but the biggest factor is most likely what experts call “breach fatigue.” ​

There have been so many huge data breaches in the news that many consumers have become numb. Either people think “I’ve never had my identity stolen, so why worry now?” or they think “It’s a losing battle, so why try?” These attitudes are understandable but misplaced: in fact, identity theft can happen any time, and it does make a difference when you take steps to defend yourself.​

The first thing to understand is that identity theft doesn’t happen instantly. After a big cyber breach like the Equifax one, it takes time for the cyber attackers to package and sell the stolen information. Then the buyers may sit on it for months or years, until news about the data breach dies down and people aren’t on the lookout for identity theft. So just because you haven’t had problems yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t. Then, once thieves start using stolen information for identity theft, they’re looking for an easy profit. With this breach, they have millions of potential victims to choose from, so if you put up barriers, they’ll move on and look for easier targets.​

Fighting identity theft is like taking care of your teeth. Cavities happen over time, so you wouldn’t stop brushing and flossing just because you can’t eliminate all the bacteria from your mouth or because your latest checkup was OK. You invest the time in your long-term health.

Here are some effective ways to ensure the long-term health of your identity, complete with some links where you can find out more:​

• Check each of your three major-bureau credit reports annually.
• Set a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit report.
• Set alerts on your credit cards and bank accounts so you can spot suspicious activity.
• Always review your credit card, bank, and benefit statements, looking for unauthorized activity.
• Invest in identity protection services that include both monitoring and recovery service to give you peace of mind and expert help if you do have a problem.

If you take these five simple steps, you won’t wonder how to react to future breaches because you’ll already be covered. And when the next big breach hits the news, you can pat yourself on the back and continue on with what really matters in your life. Won’t that be nice?