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What To Do When Breached

Posted on Posted in Remediation, Weekly Tip

The Tip

The odds are really against us when it comes to data/account breaches. It’s not really a question of if, so much as a question of when. How would we know that our account has been breached and what should we do about it?

The Detail

The first thing we should do is check to see if any of our accounts have been involved in known breaches. You’d be surprised at the major companies that have been compromised. Then we should sign up for a notification service for any future breaches that come to light.

If you have suffered a breach, follow these basic tips;

  • Keep calm and login immediately to anywhere you’ve used the compromised username/password. Change the password, being sure to use a strong and unique password.
  • If multi-factor authentication is available at the service, enable it right away. This is an easy way to greatly enhance your security.
  • Don’t recycle your passwords. If you were using the same password for more than one account, you need to login to each of those services and change it. It is critical for security to use unique passwords on all accounts. Start with the email account associated with this password and change it there first. Then work your way through any other service where you have used the same password, and start using unique passwords on all accounts.
  • If you’re worried about remembering all those robust new passwords, or even having trouble making them up, this is a good time to start using a password wallet.

Cybersecurity Month Ends

The final theme for cybersecurity month was How cyber security is driving the jobs of the future. There is a good read there with thoughts on education and career opportunities for the immediate future.