- How do you secure your online identity?
- How do you protect yourself from identity theft?
- What do you do if your identity has been stolen?
- What do you do if your EGSC account(s) have been compromised?
- What is Phishing?
- External Resources
How do you secure your online identity?
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Secure your devices (Mac, PC, Phones)
- Ensure that your devices have the latest updates
- Install trusted apps and software and keep them up-to-date
- Limit the number of apps and software installed (uninstall/delete any you don’t use)
- Lock your device when unattended or not in use
- Enable device encryption
- Enable backups
- Enable device tracking
- Enable two-factor authentication (when available)
- Log out of your accounts and/or lock your computer before stepping away
- Delete or close old accounts you no longer use
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Be sure to set up and secure your account recovery options.
- If you have security questions, do not answer them truthfully.
- Avoid responding to phishing emails
- Check if your account has been compromised in a data breach and get notifications if your account appears in any other data breaches.
How do you protect yourself from identity theft?
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Keep your Social Security number secure and ask questions before deciding to share it. Ask if you can use a different kind of identification. If someone asks you to share your SSN, ask:
- Why they need it
- How it will be used
- How they will protect it
- What happens if you don’t share the number
- Monitor your Social Security Information
- Don’t overshare on social networking sites
- Keep passwords private
- Shred documents (such as receipts, credit offers, checks, bank statements, etc.) when you no longer need them.
- Opt out of pre-approved credit offers in the mail.
- Monitor your credit reports for free. Federal law requires each of the three major credit reporting agencies to give you a free credit report — at your request — each year. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com — the only authorized website for free credit reports. If you want to monitor your reports over time, you can spread out your requests, getting one free report every four months.
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Place a credit (security) freeze at each of the nationwide credit reporting companies. This makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
- Innovis
- NCTUE (used by some mobile phone merchants, cable and utilities)
- ChexSystems (used by some banks)
- If possible, request a pass phrase to access or make changes to your account information over the phone at your bank, phone provider, etc.
- if possible, apply for an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS
What do you do if your identity has been stolen?
- Report identity theft and get a recovery plan.
- (During tax season) File your taxes as soon as possible. An identity thief can submit false information to get a refund sent to them.
What do you do if your EGSC account(s) have been compromised?
- Call EGSC IT at 478-289-2004 as soon as possible
- Change your password and security questions from a secure device
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Information that we will need to know:
- How your account was compromised (suspicious website, email attachment, etc.)
- When and where it occurred
What is Phishing?
Phishing is the act of attempting to scam a user into revealing their personal information such as passwords and/or credit card information through email by impersonating a legitimate source. Other variations include scams using text messages and phone calls.
Look out for:
- Unusual or unfamiliar email address associated with a familiar name
- Typos and/or poor grammar
- Links to a website that appear identical to the real one (such as to a legitimate bank website). Hover over the link to see if it matches what’s typed in the message.
- Emails that include threats or a sense of urgency to respond by clicking a link or opening an attachment
- Unexpected emails from someone you know
What should you do if you are unsure it’s legitimate?
- If you know and trust the sender, contact them directly (by phone or in person) to verify that they sent the message.
- Avoid clicking on links within the email. If this is from a familiar source (such as a bank acct. or school), open your browser and go directly to their website and log in from there.
- Contact EGSC IT at cswork@ega.edu or call 478-289-2004
External Resources
- Stop.Think.Connect.
- StaySafeOnline
- FTC Identity Theft Recovery Steps
- Annual Credit Report
- OptOutPrescreen.com
- Have i been pwned? Check if you have an account that has been compromised in a data breach.
- Firefox Monitor
Last edited on July 24, 2020 by Victor Poole