The Equifax 2017 Exposed: What Half of America Needs to Do Right Now

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Equifax has been hacked. As one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, this is seriously bad. It is considered by many to be the worst security breach in the history of the internet. The extent (about 143 million Americans) and the sensitivity of the data is a rude awakening in a year when cyber has been in the center of the news.

What does this mean for you? It means that your Social Security number, and possibly even your driver’s license information, could be in the hands of hackers. Some are already calling this the worst breach of data in history.   

How Did This Happen?

On September 7th, Equifax announced that a security breach occurred that could impact as many as 143 million people. Though this isn’t the largest breach to occur, it could be the most devastating. The data that was accessed included Social Security numbers, address, birth dates, and driver’s license numbers. All of these can be used for identity theft.

Equifax also announced that the credit card numbers of more than 200,000 people were accessed, as were documents containing personal identifying information for more than 180,000 people. With this information, the hackers can commit credit card fraud. This isn’t as bad as identity theft, as credit card fraud is usually simple to fix, but these thieves could still open new credit card accounts in your name with your Social.

According to Equifax, the company discovered the data breach on July 29. Apparently, the hackers accessed the files from around mid-May all the way through July.

Richard F. Smith, the chairman and CEO of Equifax, admits that this is a “disappointing event” and that it “strikes at the heart” of the goals of the company. He also apologized to customers who work with Equifax and consumers. Boo hoo. I cry for you.

Why Did It Take So Long to Announce This?

You might be wondering why it took so long to announce that there was a data breach at Equifax. After all, the company discovered it on July 29, and didn’t announce it until September 7. Their Director of Social Media, has an answer. She said that as soon as the company discovered the breach, they stopped the intrusion. The company also hired a cybersecurity firm, which did a full investigation. This investigation was time consuming, and they wanted to have all of the information available before informing the public. Makes sense.

But Wait…There’s More

To add to this story, Bloomberg News announced that three executives from Equifax sold shares worth about $1.8 million. What’s shocking is that they did this AFTER the company discovered the breach. This will come back to bite them.

You can check to see if you are affected by the breach by using an online tool that Equifax has set up. FYI, I checked out my info, I’m a victim.

You should go there, enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number, and the system will tell you if your information has been compromised. If it has, Equifax is offering a complimentary enrollment into the TrustedID program. However, there is language in the terms of service that may restrict your ability to have your day in court if you were to join a class action and the NY Attorney General is pissed. According to USA Today, a class action lawsuit has already been filed against Equifax. This class action suit seeks to secure all records associated with the breach and fair compensation for those who were affected.

Read the NYT.

You don’t have to have done any type of business with Equifax to be affected by this. If you have ever applied for a mortgage, loan, or credit card, the company likely has your information. The TrustedID program is going to be free for an entire year for anyone affected. It gives consumers the ability to lock and unlock their credit reports. They also get internet scans for their Social Security numbers and identity-theft insurance. You can also call Equifax at 866-447-7559.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Top 12 Tips to Destroy Your Sensitive Data

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Believe it or not, you just can’t shred too much. If you aren’t destroying your sensitive data, my best advice is for you to start now. There are people out there who make a living diving into dumpsters in search of credit card info, bank account number, mortgage statements, and medical bills; all things they can use to steal your identity.  

Here are 12 tips that you can use to help you destroy your sensitive data:

  1. Buy a shredder. That said, I don’t own a shredder. I’ll explain shortly. There are a number of different brands and models out there. Some even shred CDs. This is important if you keep your documents saved on a computer, which you then saved to a CD. Don’t, however, try to shred a CD in a shredder that isn’t equipped to do this job. You will definitely break it.
  2. Skip a “strip-cut” shredder. These shredders produce strips that can be re-constructed. You would be surprised by how many people don’t mind putting these pieces together after finding them in trash. Yes, again, people will go through dumpsters to find this information. Watch the movie “Argo” and you’ll see what I mean.
  3. Shred as small as you can using a cross cut shredder. The smaller the pieces, the more difficult it is to put documents together again. If the pieces are large enough, there are even computer programs that you can use to recreate the documents.
  4. Fill a large cardboard box with your shreddables. You can do this all in one day, or allow the box to fill up over time.
  5. When the box is full, burn it. This way, you are sure the information is gone. Of course, make sure that your municipality allows burning.
  6. You should also shred and destroy items that could get you robbed. For instance, if you buy a huge flat screen television, don’t put the box on your curb. Instead, destroy, shred, or burn that box. If it’s on the curb, it’s like an invitation for thieves to come right in.
  7. Shred all of your documents, including any paper with account numbers or financial information.
  8. Shred credit card receipts, property tax statements, voided checks, anything with a Social Security number, and envelopes with your name and address.
  9. Talk to your accountant to see if they have any other suggestions on what you should shred and what you should store.
  10. Shred anything that can be used to scam you or anyone. Meaning if the data found in the trash or dumpster could be used in a lie, over the phone, in a call to you or a client to get MORE sensitive information, (like a prescription bottle) then shred it.
  11. Try to buy a shredder in person, not online. Why? Because you want to see it and how it shreds, if possible. If do buy a shredder online, make sure to read the reviews. You want to make sure that you are buying one that is high quality.
  12. Don’t bother with a shredder. I have so much to shred (and you should too) that I use a professional document shredding service.

I talked to Harold Paicopolos at Highland Shredding, a Boston Area, (North shore, Woburn Ma) on demand, on-site and drop off shredding service. Harold said “Most businesses have shredding that needs to be done regularly. We provide free shredding bins placed in your office. You simply place all documents to be shredded in the secure bin. Your private information gets properly destroyed, avoiding unnecessary exposure.”

Does your local service offer that? Shredding myself takes too much time. And I know at least with Highlands equipment (check your local service to compare) their equipment randomly rips and tears the documents with a special system of 42 rotating knives. It then compacts the shredded material into very small pieces. Unlike strip shredding, this process is the most secure because no reconstruction can occur.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Three ways to beef up security when backing up to the cloud

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Disasters happen every day. Crashing hard drives, failing storage devices and even burglaries could have a significant negative impact on your business, especially if that data is lost forever. You can avoid these problems by backing up your data.

Backing up means keeping copies of your important business data in several places and on multiple devices. For example, if you saved data on your home PC and it crashes, you’ll still be able to access the information because you made backups.

A great way to protect your files is by backing up to the cloud. Cloud backup services like Carbonite allow you to store data at a location off-site. You accomplish this by uploading the data online via proprietary software.

Cloud backup providers have a reputation for being safe and secure. But you can’t be too careful. Here are a few ways to beef up security even more when you use a cloud backup system:

  • Before backing up to the cloud, take stock of what data is currently in your local backup storage. Make sure that all of this data is searchable, categorized and filed correctly.
  • Consider taking the data you have and encrypting it locally, on your own hard drive before backing up to the cloud. Most cloud backup solutions – including Carbonite – provide high-quality data encryption when you back up your files. But encrypting the data locally can add an additional layer of security. Just remember to store your decryption key someplace other than on the computer you used to encrypt the files. This way, if something happens to the computer, you’ll still be able to access your files after you recover them from the cloud.
  • Create a password for the cloud account that will be difficult for any hacker to guess. However, make sure that it’s also easy for you to remember. The best passwords are a combination of numbers, letters and symbols.

Cloud backups are convenient and have a good record when it comes to keeping your data safe. It doesn’t require the purchase of additional equipment or the use of more energy. You can also restore data from anywhere, to any computer, as long as there is an Internet connection available.

Consultant Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft prevention. Learn more about Carbonite’s cloud and hybrid backup solutions for small and midsize businesses. Disclosures.

How much is your Data worth online?

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Cyber crime sure does pay, according to a report at Intel Security blogs.mcafee.com. There’s a boom in cyber stores that specialize in selling stolen data. In fact, this is getting so big that different kinds of hot data are being packaged—kind of like going to the supermarket and seeing how different meats or cheeses are in their own separate packages.

10DHere are some packages available on the Dark Net:

  • Credit/debit card data
  • Stealth bank transfer services
  • Bank account login credentials
  • Enterprise network login credentials
  • Online payment service login credentials

This list is not complete, either. McAfee Labs researchers did some digging and came up with some pricing.

The most in-demand type of data is probably credit/debit card, continues the blogs.mcafee.com report. The price goes up when more bits of sub-data come with the stolen data, such as the victim’s birthdate, SSN and bank account ID number. So for instance, let’s take U.S. prices:

  • Basic: $5-$8
  • With bank ID#: $15
  • With “fullzinfo” (lots more info like account password and username): $30
  • Prices in the U.K., Canada and Australia are higher across the board.

So if all you purchase is the “basic,” you have enough information to make online purchases—and can keep doing this until the card maxes out or the victim reports the unauthorized charges.

However, the “fullzinfo” will allow the thief to get into the account and change information, thwarting the victim’s attempts to get things resolved.

How much do bank login credentials cost?

  • It depends on the balance.
  • $2,200 balance: $190 for just the login information
  • For the ability to transfer funds to U.S. banks: $500 to $1,200, depending on the balance.

Online premium content services offer a variety of services, and the login credentials to these are also for sale:

  • Video streaming: $0.55 to $1
  • Cable channel streaming: $7.50
  • Professional sports streaming: $15

There are so many different kinds of accounts out there, such as hotel loyalty programs and auction. These, too, are up for sale on the underground Internet. Accounts such as these have the thief posing as the victim while carrying out online purchases.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

Data security policies need teeth to be effective

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Bottom line: If you have a data security policy in place, you need to make sure that it’s up to date and contains all of the necessary elements to make it effective. Here are 10 essential items that should be incorporated into all security policies:

4H1. Manage employee email

Many data breaches occur due to an employee’s misuse of email. These negligent acts can be limited by laying out clear standards related to email and data. For starters, make sure employees do not click on links or open attachments from strangers because this could easily lead to a ransomware attack.

2. Comply with software licenses and copyrights

Some organizations are pretty lax in keeping up with the copyrights and licensing of the software they use, but this is an obligation. Failing to do so could put your company at risk.

3. Address security best practices

You should be addressing the security awareness of your staff by ensuring that they are aware of security best practices for security training, testing and awareness.

4. Alert employees to the risk of using social media

All of your staff should be aware of the risks associated with social media, and consider a social media policy for your company. For example, divulging the wrong information on a social media site could lead to a data breach. Social media policy should be created in line with the security best practices.

5. Manage company-owned devices

Many employees use mobile devices in the workplace, and this opens you up to threats. You must have a formal policy in place to ensure mobile devices are used correctly. Requiring all staff to be responsible with their devices and to password protect their devices should be the minimum requirements.

6. Use password management policies

You also want to make sure that your staff is following a password policy. Passwords should be complex, never shared and changed often.

7. Have an approval process in place for employee-owned devices

With more employees than ever before using personal mobile devices for work, it is imperative that you put policies in place to protect your company’s data. Consider putting a policy in place which mandating an approval process for anyone who wants to use a mobile device at work.

8. Report all security incidents

Any time there is an incident, such as malware found on the network, a report should be made and the event should be investigated immediately by the IT team.

9. Track employee Internet use

Most staff members will use the Internet at work without much thought, but this could be dangerous. Try to establish some limits for employee Internet use for both safety and productivity.

10. Safeguard your data with a privacy policy

Finally, make sure that all staff members understand your company’s privacy policy. Make sure that data is used correctly and within the confines of the law.

Consultant Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft prevention. Learn more about Carbonite’s cloud and hybrid backup solutions for small and midsize businesses.

2016 Information Security Predictions

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No bones about it, 2016 is sure to see some spectacular, news-chomping data breaches, predicts many in infosec. If you thought 2015 was interesting, get your seatbelt and helmet on and prepare for lift off…

4WWearable Devices

Cyber crooks don’t care what kind of data is in that little device strapped around your upper arm while you exercise, but they’ll want to target it as a passageway to your smartphone. Think of wearables as conduits to your personal life.

Firmware/Hardware

No doubt, assaults on firmware and hardware are sure to happen.

Ransomware

Not only will this kind of attack continue, but an offshoot of it—“I will infect someone’s device with ransomware for you for a reasonable price”—will likely expand.

The Cloud

Let’s not forget about cloud services, which are protected by security structures that cyber thieves will want to attack. The result could mean wide-scale disruption for a business.

The Weak Links

A company’s weakest links are often their employees when it comes to cybersecurity. Companies will try harder than ever to put in place the best security systems and hire the best security personnel in their never-ending quest for fending off attacks—but the weak links will remain, and cyber crooks know this. You can bet that many attacks will be driven towards employees’ home systems as portals to the company’s network.

Linked Stolen Data

The black market for stolen data will be even more inviting to crooks because the data will be in sets linked together.

Cars, et al

Let’s hope that 2016 (or any year, actually) won’t be the year that a cyber punk deliberately crashes an Internet connected van carrying a junior high school’s soccer team. Security experts, working with automakers, will crack down on protection strategies to keep cyber attacks at bay.

Threat Intelligence Sharing

Businesses and security vendors will do more sharing of threat intelligence. In time, it may be feasible for the government to get involved with sharing this intelligence. Best practices will need hardcore revisions.

Transaction Interception

It’s possible: Your paycheck, that’s been directly deposited into your bank for years, suddenly starts getting deposited into a different account—that belonging to a cyber thief. Snatching control of a transaction (“integrity attack”) means that the thief will be able to steal your money or a big business’s money.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

11 Ways to Mitigate Insider Security Threats

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Companies are constantly attacked by hackers, but what if those attacks come from the inside? More companies than ever before are dealing with insider security threats.Here are 11 steps that all organizations should take to mitigate these threats and protect important company data:11D

  1. Always encrypt your data If you want to minimize the impact of an insider threat, always encrypt data. Not all employees need access to all data and encryption adds another layer of protection.
  2. Know the different types of insider threatsThere are different types of insider threats. Some are malicious, and some are simply due to negligence. Malicious threats may be identified by employee behavior, such as attempting to hoard data. In this case, additional security controls can be an effective solution.
  3. Do background checks before hiringBefore you hire a new employee, make sure you are doing background checks. Not only will this show any suspicious history, it can stop you from hiring any criminals or those associated with your competitors. Personality tests can also red flag the propensity for malicious behavior.
  4. Educate your staffEducating your staff on best practices for network security is imperative. It is much easier for employees to use this information if they are aware of the consequences of negligent behavior.
  5. Use monitoring solutionsThere are monitoring solutions that you can use, such as application, identity and device data, which can be an invaluable resource for tracking down the source of any insider attack.
  6. Use proper termination practicesJust as you want to be careful when hiring new employees, when terminating employees, you also must use proper practices. This includes revoking access to networks and paying attention to employee actions on the network in the days before they leave.
  7. Go beyond the IT departmentThough your IT department is a valuable resource, it cannot be your only defense against insider threats. Make sure you are using a number of programs and several departments to form a team against the possibility of threats.
  8. Consider access controlsAccess controls may help to deter both malicious and negligent threats. This also makes it more difficult to access data.
  9. Have checks and balances for all staff and systemsIt is also important to ensure there are checks and balances in place, i.e. having more than one person with access to a system, tracking that usage and banning shared usernames and passwords.
  10. Analyze network logsYou should collect, store and regularly analyze all of your network logs, and make sure it’s known that you do this. This will show the staff that you are watching what they are doing, making them less likely to attempt an insider attack.
  11. Back up your data Employees may be malicious or more likely they make big mistakes. And when they do, you’d sleep better at night knowing you have redundant, secure cloud based backup to keep your business up and running.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite’s cloud and hybrid backup solutions for small and midsize businesses. See him discussing identity theft prevention.Disclosures.

Tips for backing up and protecting your data while traveling

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The season of giving is now upon us — but don’t forget, it’s also the season of stealing — and no, I don’t mean your wallet or the gift package at your doorstep, but your Social Security number, credit card information, medical records and any other highly confidential information that you have stored on your computers.

1DThieves want your data — the information stored in your smartphone, laptop and other devices. People are especially vulnerable to this crime when they travel. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of holiday travel detract you from protecting your data!

  • Make sure your devices have updated security software.
  • Remove all the sensitive data (e.g., medical records) from your device prior to travel — but not before you back it up.
  • One way to protect your data is cloud backup. Protecting your data begins with keeping your computer in a safe, secure, locked location, but when you are traveling, this is simply not an option. Therefore, automatically back up data to the cloud. The third layer is to use local backups; ideally sync software that offers routine backups to an external drive.
  • Before the trip, an IT expert should install disk encryption for your laptop– especially if you’ll be bringing along lots of sensitive data. If the laptop ends up in the wrong hands, the crook will see only scrambled data.
  • Even with the aforementioned security measures in place, you should also use a virtual private network when conducting online transactions at public Wi-Fi spots, so that snooping hackers “see” only encrypted transmissions.
  • All of the above tactics still aren’t enough. “Shoulder surfers” could visually snatch your login credentials while you’re typing away at the airport lobby or coffee shop. “Visual hackers” may also use binoculars and cameras. A privacy filter for your screen will conceal what’s on your screen. If they’re right behind youthis technology will alert you. You should use a privacy filter even when your back is to a wall.

Never let your device out of your sight, and if you must, like at a relative’s dinner gathering, lock it up.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Best practices for BYOD data storage

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The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement has in some ways saved companies money, but in other ways put customer data at risk. Employees are onsite, telecommuting or traveling on business. This means their devices, and company data could be anywhere at any given moment.

7WA company manager or owner realizes that company use of employee mobile devices brings benefits. But employees also use the devices for personal activities, increasing the risk of hackers getting into company data.

The solution is to train these employees in BYOD, information security and awareness. They must be aware of how risky a data breach is, how to secure data, especially if the device is loaded with company data. An overlooked part of that training is knowing how to deal with old data, back up that data and in some cases, delete it.

Data lives in 3 forms: stored on a local device, backed up in the cloud and deleted. Over time, old data begins to accumulate on devices and that can cause problems.

Here are some key considerations and best practices for dealing with the BYOD phenomenon at your business:

  • Ask yourself when old data no longer needed? Data should have expiration dates set up to indicate this.
  • Businesses should realize that “useless” or “old” data may surprisingly be needed sooner or later. This data can be stored offsite, in the cloud, so that if the device is hacked, at least the old data (which may contain valuable information to the hacker) won’t be accessible.
  • Setting up cloud storage that automatically backs up data will ensure that if a device is lost or stolen, the data is still available. Every bit of data, even if it’s seemingly useless, should be backed up.
  • How do you truly delete data? Don’t think for a second you’ll achieve this by hitting the delete button. In many cases, a hacker could still find it and obtain it from the hard drive. What you can’t see is not invisible to a skilled hacker.
  • Want to just get rid of old data altogether? You must destroy the hard drive. This means put it on the ground and hit with a sledgehammer. Then recycle the guts. Or you can professionally shred it.
  • Deploy Mobile Device Management (MDM) software that gives companies the ability to remotely manage devices. Tasks might include locating, locking or wiping a lost or stolen device. MDM can also be used to update software and delete or back up data.

The planning and prevention tactics above apply to businesses and really, everyone. Employees should be rigorously trained on proactive security and the tricks that cyber thieves use.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Mother Nature can ruin your business: Get ready for natural disasters now

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September is almost over. This means National Preparedness Month is nearing its end. Nevertheless, you must be prepared all year long to stay safe. National Preparedness Month culminates September 30th with National PrepareAthon Day.

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-online-risks-sign-road-banner-image34668294In the boxing ring, if you focus on the knockout punches too much, the quick sharp jabs are what may bring you down. This is how some businesses approach their security. They put too much emphasis on preventing that mountainous data breach, while smaller everyday threats sneak by.

Those smaller threats may be difficult to get at, and they can knock you out for good. A company may have all eyes on that Russian hacking ring, a fire or hurricane. But threats come in all flavors.

A business just can’t use all its artillery against the “big” threats, because this will create non-flexible tactics that unravel in the face of an unexpected threat.

Unless company leaders are psychic, they can’t anticipate every possible threat. But being narrowly focused is no good, either. Here are some tips on how to widen that focus and plan for disaster:

  • Certainly, gear up for the “big” threats like natural disasters and brick-and-mortar crimes. This includes having insurance plans, conducting evacuation training, and implementing additional protection like smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
  • Create a list of as many possible threats you can think of. If you can conceive it, it probably can happen.
  • Come up with a backup location should your primary office location be rendered inoperable.
  • Create a core response team for any kind of disasters, and see to it that the members are easy to reach. Have a secondary team in place in case anyone in the primary core can’t function.
  • Establish post-disaster communication plans for employees, customers/clients and vendors. Have a list of backup vendors.
  • Create security plans that are flexible rather than rigid, and make sure they are regularly updated.
  • Back up all data. Have an onsite data backup as well as cloud backup.
  • Replace computers every 2-3 years. But don’t wait that long if the following symptoms of a croaking computer occur: odd noises during boot-up; things taking way too long; a blue screen.

The preparation and prevention tactics above apply to businesses and really, everyone. Employees should be rigorously trained on proactive security and tricks that cyber thieves use. To learn more about preparing your small business for disasters, download Carbonite’s e-book, “Five Things Small Businesses Need to Know about Disaster Recovery.”

#1 Best Selling Author Robert Siciliano CSP, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com is a United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Staff Officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security whose motto is Semper Paratus (Always Ready). He is a four time Boston Marathoner, Private Investigator and is fiercely committed to informing, educating, and empowering people so they can be protected from violence and crime in the physical and virtual worlds. As a Certified Speaking Professional his “tell it like it is” style is sought after by major media outlets, executives in the C-Suite of leading corporations, meeting planners, and community leaders. Disclosures.