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Protecting Yourself After a Massive Data Breach

Hackers and cybercriminals are coming up with more and more devious ways to steal every
day. Some of the data breaches are huge, like the attacks on Target and Anthem, allowing
hackers to get access to millions of social security numbers, email address, credit card numbers
and other personal information. Some are state-sponsored cyberattacks, like the recent massive
data breach that affected virtually every U.S. government agency. All the above increases the
risks for identify theft on a global scale.

Victims of identity fraud can take steps to notify the authorities and credit bureaus. Massive data
breaches are different. Being part of a data breach is like losing your wallet at the mall -- no way
to tell who has it, how they will use it, when they will use it, or if they will use it at all. Only one
thing is certain: you must take precautions.

Max Nomad, IT computer consultant and author of the book Surviving The Zombie
Apocalypse: Safer Computing Tips for Small Business Managers and Everyday People
offers up specific advice:

1) Perform a deep scan of your home computer(s) using multiple antivirus and malware removal
programs. Massive data breaches mean that numerous computers were affected, including
privately-owned machines. Take steps to make sure yours is clean before proceeding with step
#2.

2) Change the password(s) to every account on your home computer. This should also include
your home WiFi too, both the administrator password and the connection passphrase.

3) Get a Password Locker app and use it to generate and store all your new passwords. Your
new passwords should be

• at least 12 characters long,
• use upper and lowercase with one or more numbers and special characters,
• does not use proper names or words from the dictionary,
• unique (as in not used for anything else), and
• stored only in a Password Manager app (and never stored in your web browser)

4) Go through and change the passwords to every online account. Online banking, online
payment sites, etc. This should include changing your secret questions and answers. I would
also recommend changing all work passwords but their IT departments are going to make that
happen anyway.

5) Clean your browser history regularly. If past passwords were stored in the browser, clear
them out and don’t replace them with your new passwords. Although the “Remember password”
feature is convenient, hackers know how to retrieve passwords from these caches.

6) Enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible, starting with anything related to
46 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – June 2015 Edition
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