(WTNH) — Credit reporting agency Equifax is paying a massive fine for the largest data breach in U.S. history. The 2017 Equifax hack exposed the personal information of nearly 150 million people.
We are stretching your dollar with how to protect your data from getting stolen again.
“We need to put confidence back into the word confidential,” Xavier Becerra, California Attorney General.
A hefty fine for a massive hack. Equifax is expected to pay as much as $700 million for the 2017 data breach that exposed the private information of nearly 150 million people.
“We vigorously encourage every person who was impacted by the Equifax data breach to apply for the relief that they are entitled to.”
If you think you were affected, officials say go to equifaxbreachsettlement.com to find out if you can file a claim.
As part of the deal, the credit reporting agency is also required to change how it handles private user data.
But how do you keep your data safe?
Cyber security experts at LifeLock say you should consider these options.
One, get a credit freeze, which keeps potential creditors from accessing your credit report.
Second, sign up for fraud alerts and credit monitoring so that you’ll get notified any time someone applies for credit in your name.
Lastly, get identity theft protection. This monitors your credit at one or all of the three reporting agencies and detects suspicious activity.
These days, you can’t be too safe.
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