What to do if your details are leaked in a data breach

A data breach can lead to your sensitive details becoming public. In the Domino’s data breach that happened recently, a customer’s email, order details, address and many more details were leaked.

On the social media website Twitter, some users have given a link where a person can check the leaked data. (Check here).

The number of incidents of data breach has been on the rise of late. Before Domino’s, there have been news of data breaches at Air India, BigBasket and many other businesses involved in e-commerce, online food ordering, etc.

Whenever you read the news of a data breach, you can first go to websites like haveibeenpwned.com. Here, you will get to know what details the hackers leaked when the data breach happened.

CHANGE PASSWORD

Irrespective of the details that were leaked, the first step to take is to change your passwords. Don’t just change the password on the service that was breach. Many of us re-use the passwords. If your password on one website is the same as another one, there are chances that hackers may try to use your credentials on other websites to gain your login details.

One good hygiene is to keep different passwords for each service. If you think it’s a daunting task to remember each password, there are many services available (like LastPass and 1Password) that help you suggest a strong password and remember it for you.

EEP 2-FACTOR AUTHENTICATIONK

Wherever possible, use two-factor authentication for the services. All major services like emails, internet banking and some e-commerce websites allow this.

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account. Even if a hacker has access to your account, they cannot log in if you have an additional security layer.

GET NEW CARDS

A data breach can sometimes lead to leaking your financial details like bank account and credit card numbers. If it does, ask the bank to issue a new debit or credit card.

You can also use UPI (Unified Payment Interface) for payments to protect your bank and card details from getting leaked. Some banks allow you to make a virtual card with limited funds and validity. Such services give you a virtual card with a different number. You can use this service when using cards online.

Many times, your credential can be used for identity theft. Hackers can use it to procure loans and other services. You can get one credit report each year from a credit bureau. There are four bureaus, and that allows you to get four free reports. Make use of this. Every quarter, check credit report to see if there are new loans. If you find anything unusual, act on it immediately.

(Do you have personal finance queries? Send them to mintmoney@livemint.com and get them answered by industry experts)