If you’re up-to-date on the latest news around the world, you might be thinking everyone is getting hacked. Thankfully, it’s not quite that drastic, but cyber hacks are becoming more and more common as criminals find more ways to access your personal and financial information.
The best way to defend yourself or your business from hackers is to ensure you’re employing sensible, modern cyber security practices. However, even the biggest businesses are vulnerable to attacks when modern technology comes into play.
Retain Identity Theft Protection or Insurance
This step is you should take before a hack ever comes anywhere near your information. This is something many financial institutions and insurance companies will offer. The protection will reimburse you for many of the costs associated with having your identity and information stolen, including fraudulent charges, legal help, and other costs along the way.
Your employer may actually offer free or discounted identity protection so work with your boss or HR representative to secure the best option available.
Know Exactly What Was Exposed
The first step to getting your life back in order after your information is exposed is knowing exactly what is out there. Did the criminals just personal information like your name, address, and phone numbers, or did the hack expose financial information, social security numbers, and other valuable information?
While your employer will likely disclose this in notifying you, you should reach out for clarity to ensure nothing is left out. Knowledge is power, and this is a situation where every piece of information is vital.
Isolate Any Impacted Accounts/Device
Once you know what accounts are exposed, you should work to remove those accounts from any personal and work computers as quickly as possible. There’s a chance the hackers could be actively working to get more information out of your system, so isolating the impacted accounts and devices could prevent further harm. You may also consider freezing your credit files with the three main credit-reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). This will likely cost you money, but it’s a chance for you to prevent the hack from severely impacting your credit.
This may be out of your control, but it is imperative that your employer does not take this step too far. If your employer completely shuts down the system and halts productivity, the hackers are given more negotiating power should that be their motivation. Consider this on a personal level, as well.
Turn Over All Communications With the Offenders
This won’t apply in most cases, but if your employer is able to locate the offender you should search through all communications to find out if you had any direct or indirect contact with them. If you do find anything suspicious, immediately turn it over to the point of contact in your office handling the situation. The more information they have the better chances your employer has of limiting damage and expediting recovery.
Contact a Lawyer Quickly
Your employer should be trusted with your information. Ultimately, if your information has been exposed because your employer failed to handle it with care, you are entitled to financial recourse. The courts could determine you are owed the cost of any credit monitoring, credit or debit charges, device replacement, and other costs associated with recovering from the hack. STARNet is the right firm for your case. Contact us today and get your cases started.
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