My data is on the the DARK WEB!
What do I do?
At Brightlines we don't go too deep into the dark web. We find that the majority of your sensitive data that needs to be ameliorated lives on data broker sites, on sites you manage but never thought could create harm - like old social media profiles - or on public records databases. Much of what we'd find on the dark web would be stolen passwords or credit card and financial data. Between good login credential hygiene and a credit freeze, you’re well covered.
So, if you’ve been notified of a breach or of your data found on the dark web:
Freeze your credit. It’s easy and manageable online, and while it’s not 100% foolproof, it helps. Also, if you have minor children, freeze their credit. For kids, there’s a little more work involved, but worth it to ensure they start with a clean slate. Set these once, and don’t worry about your credit every time an account gets breached.
Set up a PIN with the IRS so no one can use your SSN to file a tax return. This also requires little maintenance over the long term.
Change any affected passwords. If you’ve been notified of a specific account breach, change the password to that account immediately. If two-factor authentication or other security safeguards are available, set those up as well. Also, periodically check to see what known breaches you’ve been involved in at www.Haveibeenpwnd.com. Change the passwords of accounts affected. Start with the most recent breaches – it’s likely that breaches that are older have already forced you to change your password when you logged in again after the breach.
