How to protect yourself from identity theft
MORE COMING UP AT THE TOP OF
THE HOUR. DAN, THANK YOU, DAN.
A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED
THIS WEEK IN FLORIDA.
>> CLAIMS THAT HACKERS GAINED
ACCESS TO 2.9 BILLION RECORDS
IN APRIL SOCIAL SECURITY
NUMBERS, PHONE NUMBERS AND SO
MUCH MORE. THIS LAWSUIT ACCUSES
THE COMPANY NATIONAL PUBLIC
DATA OF FAILING TO SAFEGUARD
INFORMATION THAT IT WAS PURGING
5 ON YOUR SIDE IS HERE TO HELP
YOU FIGURE OUT IF YOUR INFO IS
IN THAT BATCH OF 2.9 BILLION
RECORDS. JOINING US NOW LIVE IS
THE FOUNDER OF MOTIVE AND A
TECHNOLOGY EXPERT. THIS IS PETE
ERICKSON. PETE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR TAKING SOME TIME AND
JOINING US TO GIVE US SOME
INSIGHT TONIGHT.
FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU GIVE ME
AN IDEA OF WHAT THESE CRIMINALS
OR WHAT ANYBODY MIGHT DO ONCE
THEY GET YOUR INFORMATION?
>> WELL, THIS IS THERE'S A
WHOLE MARKET FOR DATA AND THE
BLACK MARKET. SOME PEOPLE CALL
IT THE DARK WEB. WHATEVER YOU
WANT TO CALL IT, THE PEOPLE
WILL BUY THIS INFORMATION
BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW,
FRAUDULENTLY OPEN UP CREDIT
CARDS, USE THOSE CARDS AND THEN
MAKE PURCHASES. SO THERE'S A
HOLE UNDER MARKET KNOW, WHOLE
UNDERWORLD THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT
THRIVES ON DATA LIKE THIS.
>> WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT
YOURSELF? BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE
AT THIS POINT BETWEEN THIS DATA
BREACH AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT
WE HAVE COVERED. IT'S SAFE TO
SAY THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY HAS
SOME BIT OF YOUR IDENTITY OUT
THERE ON THE DARK WEB.
>> YEAH, DAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
TO ASSUME THAT I CALL THIS THE
POST PRIVACY AIR AND WE HAVE TO
ASSUME THAT OUR DATA IS OUT
THERE RIGHT THERE. SO MANY
BREACHES AND IT REALLY IS
INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO
PROTECT OURSELVES SYSTEM.
REALLY EASY THINGS PEOPLE CAN
DO. ONE THING SET UP AT LEAST 2
FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. ALL THE
SERVICES THAT USE THAT MEANS
USING PASSWORD AND A TEXT
MESSAGE OR EVEN A 3RD FACTOR
AUTHENTICATION. SOME PEOPLE
CALLED MULTI FACTOR, BUT YOU
CAN ALSO FREEZE YOUR SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBER. SO SOMEBODY
CAN'T USE IT TO TRY TO OPEN A
CREDIT CARD AND YOU CAN DO THAT
BY CALLING THE SOCIAL SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION AND TALKING TO
THEM ON THE PHONE OR YOU CAN GO
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY'S WEBSITE AND AND EVEN
REFINE YOURSELF. AND THEN YOU
HAVE THE OPTION TO TURN ON AND
OFF ACCESS TO YOUR SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBER. THESE ARE FREE
RESOURCES AND THEY CAN GO A
LONG WAY TO HELPING US PROTECT
OURSELVES. SHE GOING YOU FREEZE
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO
BUY A VEHICLE OR OPEN A CREDIT
CARD, YOU UNFREEZE IT. IS THAT
KIND OF THE WAY IT WORKS RIGHT?
>> ALL RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, TO
GROW AS A LITTLE BIT OF THE
ADMINISTRATION, BUT ALSO CHECK
WITH YOUR BANK, YOUR FINANCIAL
INSTITUTION, OR YOUR CREDIT
CARD. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
MONITORING YOUR CREDIT AS WELL.
>> AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE
ALERTS THAT. THEY CAN TELL YOU,
YOU KNOW, IF YOUR CREDIT REPORT
HAS BEEN DETAINED OR IF IT'S
GONE UP OR DOWN. SO CHECK WITH
YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES
OUT THERE. OF COURSE, THEY'RE
PAID RESOURCES AS WELL. BUT YOU
MAY NOT NEED TO GO THAT FAR TO
BETTER PROTECT YOURSELF.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN
PERSONALLY DO OUTSIDE OF?
>> LEADING ON THESE OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU'RE THAT YOU'RE BEING
PROTECTED AS BEST YOU CAN.
>> AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO NOT ANSWER A TEXT
MESSAGE AND EMAIL OR EVEN A
PHONE CALL. IF YOU GOT A CALL
AND 70'S ASKING YOU ABOUT YOU
KNOW, YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
OR THEY SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN,
YOU KNOW, A BREACH, GET A
NUMBER, CALL THEM BACK OR GO
INTO YOUR BANK. DO NOT GIVE
AWAY YOUR PRIVATE INFORMATION
EVEN IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S YOUR
BANK. YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO
PROTECT YOURSELF TO JUST BE
EXTRA CAUTIOUS OUT THERE.
PEOPLE TYPICALLY ARE NOT GOING
TO BE TEXAN. YOU ARE CALLING
YOUR E-MAIL AND YOU FOR ANY
KIND OF INQUIRY OR PERSONAL
INFORMATION. SO JUST BE
CAUTIOUS. THE BAD GUYS ARE OUT
THERE. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S
REALLY UNFORTUNATE. BUT WE CAN
ALL, YOU KNOW, HELP PROTECT
OURSELVES IN THIS NEW ERA, A
DATA BREACH AND, YOU KNOW THIS,
THIS TERRIBLE SIDE OF THE