How to Check if Any of Your Passwords Have Been Stolen

Really? Another data breach?

Our modern world heavily relies on the internet to conduct business, spread information, and communicate with one another. While the digital age has offered countless benefits to many areas of our lives, it’s also created a very precarious situation when it comes to the safety of our personal information. Unfortunately, our sensitive information is profitable, and that’s made it a very attractive target for malicious cyber actors across the globe. Some companies continually update their cyber security measures to avoid putting their customer base at risk of financial consequences, but in some cases, even the most secure system can’t prevent a data breach.

When data breaches occur, the burden primarily falls on the victims that have to pick up the pieces. Companies are required to notify the public once they’ve discovered a data breach, but some organizations make it difficult to know if your information was exposed. However, there are resources that can help you check if your data was compromised, such as:

• HaveIBeenPwned
• BreachAlarm
• Sucuri
• Google Chrome’s Password Manager

All of these services would notify you if any of your personal information was found in a data breach. Some of them, such as BreachAlarm, will notify you as soon as there’s evidence of a data breach within a company you’re connected to, while others, like Sucuri, will actively scan websites to determine if they’re safe for use. Google Chrome’s password manager will scan its databases to see if any of your passwords were compromised, too. This can help you to make corrections before it’s too late. While you don’t have to use all of these services at once, using at least one will offer you some peace of mind in knowing that your data is less at risk. 

What Should I Do if I’m a Victim of a Data Breach?

We place a significant amount of trust in the organizations we choose to share our information with, as their security measures are directly responsible for the safety and security of our data. However, the cyber environment is constantly evolving, meaning that the individuals who seek to steal personal information and use it illegally are getting smarter. A security program that was considered strong five years ago is almost useless today, and some companies don’t understand that they need to constantly update their system to keep their customer’s data safe from unauthorized access. 

If a data breach affects a company that you’re a customer of, your first step should be to call your credit card company to cancel your cards. While it’s inconvenient in the short term, quickly cancelling your cards can prevent someone else from using them, which can save you the headache of disputing the charges. However, if you discover that fraudulent charges were made within your account, it’s recommended that you team up with an experienced attorney to ensure that you don’t have to pay for the damage.

How Can an Attorney Help After a Data Breach?

While it isn’t necessary to retain an attorney after a data breach, they can help make sure that the fraudulent charges within your account aren’t attached to you. In some cases, credit card companies will make it difficult for you to dispute unauthorised charges, which is difficult to handle if you have no prior experience. By teaming up with an experienced attorney, you can navigate through the process with ease and return to your everyday life in a timely manner. 

You might think that retaining an attorney is an expensive task, one that is impossible while trying to escape from the consequences of a data breach. While that may be true for other firms, all of Morgan & Morgan’s attorneys operate on a contingency, meaning it costs nothing to hire them, and they’re only paid when they win your case. Rather than burden you with another expense, we take our fee from the favorable settlement or jury award to allow everyone the ability to afford comprehensive representation, regardless of financial status. 

Morgan & Morgan’s Data Breach Attorneys Are Here to Help

Data breaches are becoming increasingly common in our modern world, but you can stay one step ahead of the competition by using the aforementioned resources to protect yourself. However, there’s no guaranteed way to stay out of harm’s way when it comes to data breaches, as it’s almost always the fault of a negligent organization and its lackluster security measures. If you find that your data was exposed in a data breach, our attorneys have the necessary experience, knowledge, and resources to help you navigate the situation and avoid the financial consequences. Contact us today for more information.