{"id":133123,"date":"2024-03-07T05:11:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T13:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=133123"},"modified":"2024-06-21T10:35:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T17:35:22","slug":"how-to-protect-yourself-from-identity-theft-after-a-data-breach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-identity-theft-after-a-data-breach\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft After a Data Breach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Did you just get word that your personal information may have been caught up in a data breach? If so, you can take steps to protect yourself from harm should your info get into the hands of a scammer or thief.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How does that information get collected in the first place?\u202fWe share personal information with companies for multiple reasons\u202fsimply by going about our day\u2014to\u202fpay for takeout at our favorite restaurant, to check into a hotel, or to collect rewards at the local coffee shop.\u202fOf course, we use our credit and debit cards too, sometimes as part of an online account that tracks our purchase history.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In other words, we leave trails of data practically wherever we go these days, and that data is of high value to hackers.\u202fThus,\u202fall those breaches we read about.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Data breaches are a (sad) fact of life\u202f<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Whether it\u2019s\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csoonline.com\/article\/2130877\/the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-21st-century.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">a major breach that\u202fexposes\u202fmillions of records<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202for one of\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaajournal.com\/healthcare-data-breach-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">many other smaller-scale breaches\u202flike the thousands that have struck healthcare providers<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u202feach one serves as\u202fa reminder that data breaches happen regularly\u202fand that we could find ourselves affected. Depending on the breach and the kind of information you\u2019ve shared with the business or organization in question, information stolen in a breach could include:\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Usernames and passwords\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Email addresses\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Phone numbers and home addresses\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Contact information for friends and family members\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Birthdays and driver\u2019s license numbers\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Credit and debit card numbers or bank account details\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Purchase history and account activity\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Social security numbers\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What do crooks do with that data? Several things. Apart from using it themselves, they may sell that data to other criminals. Either way, this can lead to illicit use of credit and debit cards,\u202fdraining of bank accounts, claiming tax refunds or medical expenses in the names of the victims,\u202for, in extreme cases, assuming the identity of others altogether.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Examples of data breaches over the recent years\u202f<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In all, data is a kind of currency in of itself because it has the potential to unlock several aspects of victim\u2019s life, each with its\u202fown\u202fmonetary\u202fvalue.\u202fIt\u2019s no wonder that big breaches like these have made the news over the years,\u202fwith some of the notables including:\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">U-Haul \u2013 2022:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> A breach which accessed their customer contracts system between November 2021 and April 2022 exposed the names, driver\u2019s license numbers, and state ID numbers of 2.2 million renters.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Los Angeles Unified School District \u2013 2022:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Hackers released 500 GB of highly sensitive information after a breach and when their subsequent ransomware demands were not met, exposing Social Security and passport numbers, health information, and psychological assessments of some students.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Facebook \u2013 2021:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fTwo sets of data exposed the records of more than 530 million users, including phone numbers, account names, and\u202fFacebook IDs.\u202fAccording to Facebook, the source of the breach dated back to 2019, at which time the flaw was remedied, even though the information was exposed in 2021.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Marriott International (Starwood) \u2013 2018:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fHalf a million\u202fguests had\u202fnames, email and physical mailing addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, dates of birth,\u202fand other information about their stays exposed.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Equifax \u2013 2017:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fSome 147 million records that included names, addresses,\u202fdates of birth, driver\u2019s license numbers, and Social Security Numbers were exposed, along with a relatively small subset of 200,000 victims having their credit card information exposed as well.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As mentioned, these are big breaches with big companies that we likely more than recognize.\u202fYet smaller and mid-sized businesses are targets as well,\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cybersecurity-magazine.com\/10-small-business-cyber-security-statistics-that-you-should-know-and-how-to-improve-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">with some 43% of data breaches involving companies of that\u202fsize<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u202fLikewise,\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/upserve.com\/restaurant-insider\/pos-data-breaches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">restaurants and retailers have seen their Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals compromised<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, right on down to neighborhood restaurants.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Staying secure in light of data breaches\u202f<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When a company experiences a data breach, customers need to realize that this could impact their online safety. If your favorite coffee shop\u2019s customer database gets leaked, there\u2019s a chance that your personal or financial information was exposed. However, this doesn\u2019t mean that your online safety is doomed. If you think you were affected by a breach, you can take several steps to protect yourself from the potential side effects.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Keep an eye on your bank and credit card accounts\u202f<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One of the most effective ways to determine whether someone is fraudulently using\u202fone or more of your\u202faccounts\u202fis to check your\u202fstatements. If you see any charges that you did not make, report them\u202fto your bank or credit card company immediately.\u202fThey have processes in place to handle fraud. While you\u2019re with them, see if they offer alerts for strange purchases, transactions, or\u202fwithdrawals.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/credit-monitoring?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Our credit monitoring service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> can help you keep an eye on this. It monitors changes to your credit score, report, and accounts with timely notifications and guidance so you can take action to tackle identity theft.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. Monitor your identity with the help of a service<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Breached and stolen information often ends up in dark web marketplaces where hackers, scammers, and thieves purchase it to commit yet more crime. Once it was difficult to know if your information was caught up in such marketplaces, yet now <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/identity-monitoring\/path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">an identity monitoring service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> can do the detective work for you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Our service monitors the dark web for your personal info, including email, government IDs, credit card and bank account info, and more. This can help keep your personal info safe with early alerts that show you if your data is found on the dark web, an average of 10 months ahead of similar services.\u200b From there, you\u2019ll get guidance that you can act on, which can help protect your info and accounts from theft.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Place a fraud alert<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you suspect that your data might have been compromised, place a fraud alert on your credit. This not only ensures that any new or recent requests undergo scrutiny, but also allows you to have extra copies of your credit report so you can check for suspicious activity.\u202fYou can place one fraud alert with any of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and they will notify the other two. A fraud alert typically lasts for a year, although there are options for extending it as well.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">4. Look into freezing your credit if needed\u202f<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/security-freeze\/\">Freezing your credit<\/a> will make it\u202fhighly difficult\u202ffor criminals to take out loans or open new accounts in your name, as a freeze halts all requests to pull your credit\u2014even legitimate ones.\u202fIn this way, it\u2019s a far stronger measure than placing a fraud alert.\u202fNote that if you plan to take out a loan, open a new credit card, or other activity that will prompt a credit report, you\u2019ll need to take extra\u202fsteps to see that through while the freeze is in place.\u202f(The organization you\u2019re working with can assist with the specifics.)\u202fUnlike the fraud alert, you\u2019ll need to contact each major credit reporting agency to put one in place. Also, a\u202ffreeze lasts as long as you have it in place. You\u2019ll have to remove it yourself, again with each agency.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/security-freeze?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">You can centrally manage this process with our security freeze service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which stops companies from looking at your credit profile, and thus halts the application process for loans, credit cards, utilities, new bank accounts, and more. A security freeze won&#8217;t affect your credit score. \u200b<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">5. Update your passwords\u202f<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ensure that your passwords\u202fare\u202fstrong and unique. Many\u202fpeople\u202futilize the same password or variations of it across all their accounts. Therefore, be sure to diversify your passcodes to ensure hackers cannot obtain access to all your accounts at once, should one password be compromised. You can also employ a password manager to keep track of your credentials, such as the one\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/products\/mcafee-plus-ultimate.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">you\u2019ll find in comprehensive online protection software<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">6. Consider taking out identity theft coverage\u202f<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If the unfortunate happens to you, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/identity-theft-coverage?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">an identity theft coverage &amp; restoration service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> can help you get back on your feet. Ours offers $1 million in coverage for lawyer fees, travel expenses, and stolen funds reimbursement. It further provides support from a licensed recovery expert who can take the needed steps to repair your identity and credit. In all, it helps you recover the costs of identity theft along with the time and money it takes to recover from it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">7. Clean up your personal data online<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can take this step any time, even if you haven\u2019t been caught up in a data breach. The fact is that data broker companies collect and sell thousands of pieces of information on millions and millions of people worldwide, part of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2019-11-05\/column-data-brokers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">a global economy estimated at $200 billion U.S. dollars a year<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. And they\u2019ll sell it to anyone\u2014from advertisers for their campaigns, to scammers who will use it for spammy emails, texts, and calls, and to thieves who use that information for identity theft.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yet you can clean it up. Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/personal-data-cleanup?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">personal data cleanup service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> can scan some of the riskiest data broker sites and show you which ones are selling your personal info. It also provides guidance on how you can remove your data from those sites and, with select products, even manage the removal for you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">8. Use online protection software and expand your security toolbox\u202f<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/products\/mcafee-plus-ultimate.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Comprehensive online protection software<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> will offer you the tools and services listed above, along with further features that can protect you online. That includes a VPN to keep your time online more private from online data collection while protecting it from thieves who\u2019re out to steal credit card and account information. It also includes web browsing protection that can warn you of sketchy websites and malicious downloads that look to steal your information. In all, it\u2019s thorough protection for your devices, privacy, and identity. And in a time of data breaches, that kind of protection has become essential. \u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you just get word that your personal information may have been caught up in a data breach? If so,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":674,"featured_media":185863,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10670,13],"tags":[3946,4452,4145,32,142,7027],"coauthors":[3973],"class_list":["post-133123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks","category-privacy-identity-protection","tag-credit-card-fraud","tag-cybersecurity","tag-data-breach","tag-data-protection","tag-tag-identity-theft","tag-shinyhunter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft After a Data Breach | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a company experiences a data breach, customers need to realize that this could impact their online safety. 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