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☆ 'Was my Social Security number stolen?' Answers to common questions on the National Public Data breach
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Glowimages | Getty ImagesYou may have never heard of National Public Data, yet your personal information may have been compromised in the company's recent massive data breach. National Public Data did not return a request for comment by press time. Can you be affected even if you've never heard of National Public Data? Sites like National Public Data may allow for individuals to opt out of being included in their data collections. Additionally, identity theft monitoring tools will let you know if someone tries to open an account using your personal information.

Persons: James E, Lee, it's, you've, Cliff Steinhauer, Steinhauer, — Organizations: Public Data, Jerico Pictures Inc, National, Theft Resource, Finance, Social Security, National Public, Public, National Cybersecurity Alliance, Social Locations: Maine, U.S

☆ 2.9 billion people may have had Social Security numbers, other financial data compromised. What it means for you
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-15 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn | Istock | Getty ImagesAbout 2.9 billion people may have had their personal information hacked, a new proposed class-action lawsuit alleges. If true, reports suggest all Americans may have had valuable personal information compromised — including full names, current and past addresses, Social Security numbers and information on parents, siblings and other relatives. In 2013, a Yahoo data breach may have hit all the company's accounts, or a total of 3 billion people. "Freezing your credit is the single most important thing you can do when you get a data breach notice," Lee said. While freezing your credit will limit access to your credit reports, it won't block it completely.

Persons: Sakorn, Cliff Steinhauer, James E, Lee, Steinhauer, I'd, haven't, We've, it's, It's Organizations: Istock, Public Data, Jerico Pictures Inc, Jerico, CNBC, National Cybersecurity Alliance, Theft Resource, Social Security, Finance Locations: U.S

☆ 'The worst thing you can do' after a data breach, according to a cybersecurity expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

When you get an email or see a headline telling you there has been a data breach at a company you do business with, the natural instinct may be to roll your eyes and go about your day. "People might say, 'Oh, here's another one and stick it in the drawer and don't do anything,'" says Michael Bruemmer, head of global data breach resolution at Experian. Practice good online hygieneUnless you're somehow operating off the grid, the odds are very high that a good chunk of your information is floating around on the web, cybersecurity experts say. Should a bad actor get ahold of your email address and password during a data breach, for instance, things can spiral further out of control, Skoudis says. "A password manager is a really good thing," says Bruemmer.

Persons: Michael Bruemmer, Ed Skoudis, Skoudis, you've, Skip QR, you'll Organizations: Theft, Ticketmaster, SANS Technology

☆ Job scams surged 118% in 2023, aided by AI. Here's how to stop them
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ridvan_celik | E+ | Getty ImagesEmployment scams surged last year, as criminals leveraged artificial intelligence to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting job seekers, experts said. Consumer reports of job scams jumped 118% in 2023 from the prior year, according to a recent report by the Identity Theft Resource Center. How job scams can rip you offCon artists will "push you for money" during the hiring process, the FTC said. Job seekers should not expect to have to hand over personal information until after they've received and accepted a job offer, Velasquez said. How to protect yourself from job scams

Persons: ITRC, Eva Velasquez, Velasquez, Con, Robert Rodriguez, they've Organizations: Getty, Theft Resource Center, Social, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google, Craigslist, Facebook, Finance, New York

☆ An executive at $5 billion GraniteShares says these 4 cybersecurity stocks are his top picks in the sector — which he says is one of the most compelling areas in the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Christine Ji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewInvestors looking to expand their holdings in disruptive technologies should consider the cybersecurity sector, according to Paul Marino, chief revenue officer of the investment management firm GraniteShares. Cybersecurity: the software winner of 2024Amid the overall software downturn this year, cybersecurity is one of the few areas that hasn't seen reduced demand, and for good reason. Government organizations are a significant end market for cybersecurity, reinforcing demand for the sector's products. You actually may even dig in there when times get tough," Marino said, reinforcing the perennial nature of cybersecurity demand. He recommends the following four stocks for investors who want to gain exposure to the sector.

Persons: —, Paul Marino, cybersecurity, Marino Organizations: Service, Business, Nasdaq Locations: cybersecurity

☆ Tax identity theft 'continues to be a huge problem,' expert says. Here's how to protect yourself
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As the start of tax season approaches, experts are warning filers about tax-related identity theft, an issue that often halts returns and delays refunds. Tax identity theft happens when criminals use your personal information to file a return in your name and claim your refund — and "it continues to be a huge problem," said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. The IRS' Identity Theft Victim Assistance program had 294,138 individual case receipts during fiscal 2023, up from 92,631 in 2019, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate's annual report to Congress released last week. More from Personal Finance:Government shutdown could disrupt upcoming tax season, IRS commissioner says'Fraud is at a crisis level,' says expert: 5 financial scams to watch out forHow to figure out your timeline to student loan forgivenessTax-related identity theft has diminished since the early days of electronic filing. There are signs of tax identity theft listed on the IRS website, including a letter from the agency about a "suspicious tax return," the inability to e-file, tax transcripts by mail you didn't request and more.

Persons: Eva Velasquez, Velasquez, Erin Collins Organizations: Theft Resource Center, IRS, National Taxpayer, Finance, Government

Here's how to get identity protection and what to look for in an identity protection service. If you have children, an identity theft protection service with a family plan or additional features to prevent child identity theft can be useful. Signs of a good identity theft protection serviceWhat you need from an identity theft protection service will vary based on your assets and needs, but the basics are relatively uniform. Red flags in identity theft protection servicesThere's no clear outline of solutions: The last thing you want from the company you're paying for identity theft protection is a lot of talking in circles. Getting identity theft protection frequently asked questionsWhat is the best identity theft protection service?

Persons: Kurt Sanger, Batten, Sanger, Michael Scheumack, Rebecca Morris, —, Morris, it's Organizations: Research, US Cyber Command, Credit Monitoring, Chevron, Social Locations: United States, Chevron

☆ IRS flagged more than 1 million tax returns for identity fraud in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The IRS flagged more than 1 million tax returns for potential identity theft during the 2023 tax season, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, signaling that such fraud continues to be a pervasive problem for taxpayers. The IRS had confirmed 12,617 of the tax returns were fraudulent as of the same date in March, Treasury reported. That figure is up from 9,626 tax returns at the same time in 2022. Identity theft was the most prevalent type of fraud that consumers reported to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022. The IRS increased the number of filters it uses to identify potentially fraudulent tax returns since the 2022 tax season.

☆ Hacker Stole My Phone, Credit Card, Identity. I Set Out to Find Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

They left the Verizon store and went to a nearby Apple store, where they used my Chase credit card to spend $6,370. And two, because a physical credit card had been used to make the purchases, even though I was still in possession of my card. Typically, when your credit card is about to expire, as mine was, the bank sends you a new card a few weeks ahead of time. All told, the gang allegedly stole hundreds of identities and defrauded retailers and credit card companies of $1.3 million. Whoever hacked my identity, it makes sense that they started with my credit card.

☆ Biggest security benefits, risks with new Meta, Twitter verified identity subscriptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

As Twitter and Meta Platforms move to paid subscriptions for social media identity verification and security, the battle to stay safe online continues. With social engineering and phishing the primary sources of social media account compromise, it's unlikely verified accounts will actually be more secure. "Twitter is only eliminating the SMS-based two-factor authentication capability, and does offer two additional methods for two-factor authentication that are stronger and more reliable than SMS-based authentication," Ramzan said. When signing on for a social media account, try to give away as little personal information as possible, Buzzard said. Aura recommends social media users disable third-party apps that are connected to their social media accounts.

Identity theft is often a crime of opportunity, so reducing risk goes a long way to protect against identity theft. How to reduce the risk of identity theftEva Velasquez, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, says it's best to take multiple steps to secure your identity. Editor's Rating 4.6/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 4.7/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 4.8/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Learn more On Aura's website Learn more On IDShield's website Learn more On IdentityForce's website1. While this doesn't necessarily prevent identity theft, it does mitigate any potential damages as a result of identity theft. You can report identity theft over the phone; however, you will not receive an identity theft report.

☆ Stolen checks, fraudulent activity: three major trade association PACs fell victim to theft in what's become a political epidemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An Insider review of FEC filings shows that the National Association of Manufacturers' PAC reported eight instances of stolen and fraudulent checks and bank transfers, amounting to more than $10,000 in losses. Federal Election CommissionAnother trade association, the National Association of Home Builders, reported three instances of "fraudulent debit" during the 2021-2022 election cycle, amounting to more than $20,000 in lost funds. A filing with the FEC from the PAC of the National Association of Home Builders that details money lost from fraudulent disbursements. Federal Election CommissionThe National Association of Home Builders represents more than 140,000 members who construct close to 80% of all the new homes built in the US, per the association's website. The National Association of Home Builders did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Cyberthieves stole $186,000 from a Republican member of Congress as fraud epidemic plagues political committees
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cyberthieves stole more than $186,000 from Rep. Diana Harshbarger's campaign committee, federal records show. But others haven't been so lucky as a theft epidemic strikes political committees. The 2020 presidential campaign of now-President Joe Biden is among various political committees to experience theft during the past several years. More recently, the American Hospital Association's political action committee and Kanye West's 2020 presidential campaign committee have fallen victim to financial fraudsters. Requiring campaign vendors to "meet or exceed the same security standards" as the campaign committee itself.

☆ Microsoft's latest data on hacks and why you may need new login, passwords fast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

That's a 74% rise in one year, according to the latest Microsoft Digital Defense Report. But many people still rely on passwords, and don't even use the two-factor authentication now considered critical. "As long as passwords are still part of the equation, they're vulnerable," Joy Chik, Microsoft's vice president of identity, wrote in a September 2021 company blog post. Based on a sample of more than 39 million IoT and OT devices, about 20% used identical usernames and passwords, according to the Microsoft report. Even if a provider doesn't require it to be used, multi-factor authentication is a valuable security tool that's underutilized, according to security professionals.

☆ These cybersecurity tips from a former hacker can make you 98% less vulnerable: 'You're raising the bar'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

We all want to think that we're doing enough to keep our personal and financial information safe from hackers when we go online. For the past two decades, he's been a computer security consultant whose firm, Mitnick Security Consulting, advises clients from government agencies to Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft. Where to start: Manage your passwords"For consumers who aren't technical wizards or information security consultants, the first thing where people make mistakes is in constructing their passwords," Mitnick says. The average person has more than 100 different online accounts requiring passwords, according to online password manager NordPass. Mitnick calls physical security keys "the highest security level" when it comes to signing into your online accounts.

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