If you have been informed that your data was part of the Dark web exposure, here are some steps you can take to mitigate this.
The best thing you can do now is make it as difficult as possible for someone to misuse it.
This means:
- Using unique passwords for every online account–or at least, every important account.
- Setting up two-factor authentication where possible.
- Regularly checking your bank account statements and credit reports for anything unusual.
- Freezing your credit file. Having a freeze on your files makes it much harder for identity thieves to create new accounts in your name, and it limits who can view your credit information. The main reason I recommend the freeze is that all of the information ID thieves need to assume your identity is now broadly available from multiple sources, thanks to the multiplicity of data breaches we’ve seen involving Social Security Number (SSN) data and other key static data points about people. […] Meaning, if you’re an American who hasn’t frozen their credit files and you haven’t yet experienced some form of new account fraud, the ID thieves probably just haven’t gotten around to you yet.”
Also there is an article online at https://consumerfed.org/consumer_info/dark-web-monitoring-what-you-should-know/ that does a great job explaining what you need to know and the steps to take.
It's important to note information on the Dark web cannot be removed and it's also important to take steps to protect your accounts using strong passwords, a good password manager like Ironvest (https://ironvest.com/), and Multi-Factor Authentication (see https://help.joindeleteme.com/hc/en-us/articles/19791497414547-Why-enable-2-Factor-Authentication-2FA-) for more information.
Please note: If you do not have a Dark Web monitoring service, Google recently started offering dark web scans (for free).
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