If a data breach - then data protection tips
21.08.2020
Back to blog listWatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Bob Marley
Imagine, that the worst has already happened and you fell prey to fraudulent maneuvers of malicious hackers.
What you gonna do? Do you have backup plan or any kind of exit strategy?
So, let us delve into a detailed check-list of actions to take in order to salvage a sinking ship:
1. First things first. Have your account been breached?
Change your passwords immediately.
In case that a company, where you have a working account has encountered a data breach, immediately change your password.
It is unquestionably true that the Internet facilitates working processes at the very same time it jeopardizes company’s sensitive data.
2. Okey. First things of course first, but there is one more preparation step to take to ensure your prosperous future, namely, confirm that a date breach has really taken place at your domain.
At first glance, this tip might sound confusing, whereas there are countless fortune hunters who use the resemblance of a breach to trick unprepared customers into handing in their passwords and other vital-for-your-business data.
So, before taking appropriate steps and update your login info through a link received via email, visit the company's website and confirm that the breach really occurred.
3. Rely on your friends’ reporting suspicious emails from your part
How do you normally get to know you have been hacked?
Most common scenario is when someone reports unexpected & abnormal behavior performed under your account.
Do not neglect this trusted notifications explaining it was a mistake or someone changed the "reply-to" when sending a spam email.
4. Identify the reason of the breach. Coming to a next point it is crucial to mention that the more thoroughly you know the origin of the mistake the more accurate measures you will be able to apply.
Has your account been hacked?
Has your data been lost?
Has your device been stolen?
Perceive it as an edifying free penetration test, which will help you to prevent potential and more devastating threats in the future. Intent to trace a kill-chain, spot weak points and find a better shield to protect your sensitive info.
5. Does anything ring a bell for you while being hacked? Develop your sensitivity to date breach hallmarks. When being hacked in one place, be suspicious and extra cautious in another.
Your data has been breached?
Your account has been hacked and identity stolen?
But what are the indicators?
Keep a close eye on PII data security, identify potential attacks before their escalation. Most importantly, know the warning signs that your data has been breached.
A common pattern is as follows:
When one account has been hacked, your data on other accounts using the same login information is no longer safe & secure.
In this regard, we would like to advice you to have more than one email address, and make each the alternate contact address for the other.
Just imagine, what would you do in case you forget a website password? No hesitation here, you will click to get an email to restore the access.
But wait, did you use your email address as a username on other sites? There is certainly a tendency here. However, if you also used the same password that you used for the hacked email account, those accounts are now compromised as well. Even if you utilized other sophisticated password, you could still be at risk.
We hope that this brief after-breach checklist was useful for you, stay #CyberSecured.
