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The idea of your personally identifiable information being swept up in a data breach sounds terrifying, but in today’s world, security isn’t perfect and it’s bound to happen at one point or another. However, take a breath, as a data breach isn’ t the end of the world, even if your personal information is exposed in the process.
We’re going to explain exactly what is a data breach and what to do after a data breach if your information has been compromised. By immediately taking the correct actions, you can reduce the change of your data being used for malicious purposes.
What Is a Data Breach?
A data breach occurs when information is taken or stolen without proper authorization. In the digital world, these break-ins occur when malicious individuals illegally gain access to computer systems.
Data breaches can be the result of poor data security, but even the most secure systems can become compromised. When a data breach occurs, a malicious individual or group of individuals are usually able to exploit a software vulnerability or human error.
To help protect yourself against data breaches, learn how to guard against and prevent identity theft.
In the United States, businesses are required to disclose data breaches once they are discovered, and have up to 90 days to do so. This is a much longer allowance than in many other countries, such as the UK where breaches must be reported within 72 hours.
What Can Be Exposed in a Data Breach?
Nearly any type of sensitive data can be exposed in a data breach including usernames, passwords, emails address, physical addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and other forms of user data relevant to the platform.
The information that is exposed will depend on what information you have provided the breached company, as well as the particular system which has been compromised.
More serious data breaches that can lead to identity theft can involve your driver’s license number, credit card…
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