What To Do If Your Personal Data Has Been Compromised By EasyJet
The proliferation of connected devices, mobile apps, social media, and the internet has given rise to a new digital age.
Author:James PierceReviewer:Elisa MuellerJun 29, 20220 Shares223 Views
The proliferation of connected devices, mobile apps, social media, and the internet has given rise to a new digital age. We live in a world where everything is right at our fingertips. However, with so much personal information being shared online and over mobile devices, there is also an increased risk of data breaches and cyberattacks. In fact, it was estimated that by 2021, hackers will have stolen personal information from 21 billion people across the globe. The scope of these attacks goes far beyond just checking someone’s Facebook profile or e-mail account.
If a malicious hacker gets their hands on your personal data, they can do some pretty terrible things with it. They can open new credit cards in your name; take out loans; buy property; apply for jobs in your name; change your address with utility companies; even pretend to be you and send malicious messages to your friends or family members. The result? A significant hit on your reputation, financial strain from clean-up costs, and repair of your reputation, plus a negative impact on any future job prospects because of the permanent record of having been hacked. One example of a recent high-profile data breach is easyJet. Head to EasyJet Data Breach Claim | Get Your Compensation (data-breach.com)if you think you’ve been affected by this data breach.
Contact the Company Where Your Data Was Compromised
The first thing you need to do if you’ve discovered that your data has been compromised or stolen is to contact the company that has been affected. Find out how they discovered the breach, identify which of their systems have been hacked, what personal information was accessed, and what steps they are taking to prevent further data breaches. If you don’t receive a response or aren’t satisfied with their efforts to resolve the incident, you can report the breach to a government agency, such as the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The FTC handles all data breach investigations and enforces security breach notification rules. You can also find out if your state has a separate data breach investigation team.
Check Your Credit Report Regularly
Checking your credit report on a regular basis is an excellent way to catch identity theft early on. Credit monitoring services are a good way to do this but be careful. Some companies promise to monitor your credit report for you, but they may only provide you with a copy of your credit report, which is only one of the three pieces of data that credit bureaus collect when determining your credit score (others are your payment history and the amount of debt you have). Credit monitoring services that provide you with copies of your credit reports are best, as they will tell you when something is amiss.
Change Your Passwords and Update Your Security Software
Make sure you change your passwords regularly and use strong passwords that are at least 15 characters long and don’t contain any personal information. Avoid reusing passwords across multiple accounts. Password reuse is a common way that hackers break into multiple accounts at once.
If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, contact your local police station immediately
Once you’ve determined that you have become a victim of identity theft, you must contact your local police station and file a report. The report will help you prove to creditors and financial institutions that you didn’t open these fraudulent accounts and request fraudulent loans.
How To Stay Safe in The Future
You can take a number of steps to keep your data safe and minimise the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. Here are a few recommendations:
- Stay current with all software updates: Most operating systems and software come with regular updates that patch security vulnerabilities and fix bugs. Make sure you’re installing updates as soon as they come out, so you don’t leave yourself open to attack.
- Use strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts: Make sure your passwords are at least 15 characters long and contain a mix of letters, numbers, symbols, and upper-and lower-case letters. Don’t reuse passwords across multiple accounts.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading suspicious files: Hackers will sometimes create malicious links or download files that contain viruses or malware. Avoid clicking on links or downloading files from sources you don’t trust.
- Limit your use of public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi networks aren’t secure, so it’s best to limit the use of your devices’ Wi-Fi while you’re in a public place. It’s better to connect to the Internet using your mobile network or your cellular data plan to avoid being at risk of identity theft and cyberattacks.
James Pierce
Author
Elisa Mueller
Reviewer
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