It turns out the Equifax data breach was due to a vulnerability that Equifax had two months to patch (but didn’t). Unfortunately for Equifax and the online identity of 143 million affected American consumers, there aren’t any do-overs.
However, there are three simple steps you can take to protect your online identity all without anyone’s help.
- Upgrade Your Passwords It sounds simple enough, right? Armed with your name, address, and social security number, a thief can easily call and get your password changed for a number of different accounts. This is by far the most effective and impactful step you can do to protect your online identity. If you’re having a hard time coming up with a strong, complex password, check out these 5 easy tips to beef up your password.
- Turn on Two-Factor Two-factor authentication (2FA) can no longer be seen as an option. Employing 2FA on every single account will ensure that only those with both your password and the 2nd factor (usually your mobile) can access your information. Don’t let the inconvenience of a few extra seconds or taps trump this extra layer of security for your online identity. Turn on 2FA today.
- Secure Digital Backups Backups aren’t just for those who are worried about natural disasters. They also mitigate the impact of a data loss after incidents like the Equifax hack. Best of all, digital storage has reached the stage where it’s amazingly inexpensive.