(Think: AOL, AIM, and Hotmail.) If a cybercriminal gets into one of these accounts and you aren't actively using it, they can gain access to whatever information is in there, all without your knowledge. These are accounts you may have signed up for back in, say, 2006, and you haven't logged into them for the past decade. While you're at it, figure out if you have any "zombie accounts," Franklin says. Most large organizations make their employees do this, and while individuals don't have the same financial resources as companies with full-on IT teams, it's a small thing you can do to hold yourself to that corporate standard. In any case, get into the habit of changing your passwords periodically. Uber has actually gotten into trouble for this in the past. In other words, a company needs to let you know that a breach has occurred, stat. In Pennsylvania, where Popular Mechanics is based, entities that have control over sensitive personal information "shall provide notice of any breach of the security of the system following discovery of the breach of the security of the system." The National Conference of State Legislatures keeps a comprehensive list of enacted legislations for all 50 states on its website. You should absolutely familiarize yourself with your state's breach notification laws as well. You should try to reset or lock these accounts if you've noticed purchases through your Apple ID account that you don't recognize, seen sent emails that didn't come from you, or spotted any other suspicious activity on your accounts that you can trace, but can't account for. They'll let you know if your email accounts have been part of a past breach, and they'll also send you alerts about any new hacks. □ Tip: Use these breach notification services to stay ahead of the curve. ![]() That doesn't necessarily translate to a hacked account, but it's certainly a red flag if those sign-in attempts didn't come from you. In a classic scenario, that could include unusual activity on your bank account, but there's a good chance you may also receive alerts from Google, Facebook, or Apple that a sign-in attempt has been made on your account. How do you know if one of your accounts has been compromised? In many cases, Franklin says, it's pretty obvious, and you can monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. "It's not that we need to be fearful of cybercriminals, per se, but we need to understand the risks and better educate ourselves." How to Tell If You've Been Hacked ![]() "I think we are inundated with so much information that sometimes we become numb to the fear, uncertainty, and doubt," Tiffany Franklin, manager of cybersecurity education for the Denver-based network security company Optiv, tells Popular Mechanics. But how can you tell if your information has been compromised, and what are the next steps you should take if you suspect one of your accounts has been hacked? So hackers aren't slowing down-they're becoming more savvy. Master your digital world with best-in-class explainers and unlimited access to Pop Mech, starting NOW. ![]() But unfortunately, bad actors are capitalizing upon that reality as an opportunity to steal citizens' private information.Īccording to Thales, a French company in the cybersecurity business, large-scale spam campaigns are using the coronavirus crisis as a way to spread ransomware, install banking malware, and direct users to fraudulent webpages about COVID-19. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans have been working from home, banking from home, attending school from home, and doing pretty much anything else imaginable from home.
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