Don't Get Hacked: Five Tips to Protect Your Credit

Written by Serigne Thiam, Graduate Assistant for the Graduate College 

Hackers are getting craftier and more adept at finding ways to steal your personal information. 

In the wake of a recent National Public Data Breach, over 2.9 billion records were exposed, including information like name, addresses, and social security numbers. This attack, one of the largest in history, serves as a stern reminder that a cyberattack can happen at any time, to anyone, with dire consequences. 

No one is protected from a cyberattack. You need to be vigilant in protecting your personal information. Whether the stolen information is social security numbers, bank account details, or even the answers to those forgettable security questions – your credit can be vulnerable at any time. But not to worry – here are 5 tips you can use to leave cybercriminals in the dust.

A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. It’s a very effective defense that prevents someone from opening a new line of credit in your name, like a credit card or a auto loan. To initiate a credit freeze, you can register with all three major credit bureaus: Transunion, Equifax, and Experian. Warning: Your credit is really frozen when you initiate a freeze, so keep that in mind when you're opening a new line of credit or conducting a credit check. You can temporarily lift a credit freeze when needed. You can still do soft credit checks for things like renting an apartment, applying for a job, or buying insurance without lifting the freeze.  

While it may be convenient to use the same one or two passwords, it’s safer to have unique passwords for each account, especially your financial accounts. Online banking frauds continue to be on the rise, and using unique passwords can stop criminals from draining your personal accounts. UC students are eligible to sign up for LastPass, a password management system to create and secure multiple passwords. Additionally, consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your online banking apps. This can add an extra layer of protection.

Be cautious of emails or messages asking for personal information. Phishing is a leading cause of fraud, and cybercriminals are getting better at making them look legit. The signs of a phishing scam include spelling errors and leading subject lines, like promising free tuition or asking you to enter a giveaway. You can hover over weblinks to view the hyperlink before clicking. Plus, you can hover over the sender’s name to see their email address. If you’re worried about a link, it’s a good idea to open a web browser and sign in to your accounts there instead of clicking the link. If it looks fishy, it probably is. Any suspicious email that comes to your UC email account (student or employee) can be forwarded to abuse@uc.edu—either to verify whether the email is legit or malicious, or to report new phishing/scams.

Keep a keen eye on your bank and credit card statements for any unusual activity. Sometimes you’ll catch the fraud when it has begun, such as drained bank accounts or suspicious credit activity. Make it a habit to regularly check your accounts and credit reports. You can request a free copy of your credit report. Should you find anything suspicious, contact your financial institutions and report the activity to the Federal Trade Commission.

Monitor your personal and financial information by signing up for websites such as id.me or login.gov to securely identify yourself without having to repeatedly enter your personal information online. Some identity protection services even offer recovery assistance if your identity is stolen. Government sites will enable you to get a more in-depth view of your social security history, helping you make better informed decisions for later life.  

Protecting your credit is essential to protecting your identity and setting up your financial future. By implementing these strategies, you’ll significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to cybercrime and identity theft.