IT Support in Houston: 5 Steps to Do after a Data Breach

Cybersecurity is an issue that is becoming more rampant today. You will hear many cases of data breaches everywhere you go. Thus if you come to the knowledge that you have been breached, just know that you are not alone. However, this should not be the comforting factor. You still need to know what steps to take after a breach has taken place. The following are the steps advised by IT support experts in Houston to take after a data breach or to avoid being a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft:

1. Find out What Was Stolen

The first thing to do after a possible data breach is to find out exactly what might have been stolen in the breach. It is important to categorize the sensitive information into these three categories so that you can respond in accordance with urgency:

• Least sensitive – This includes addresses and names. It might not cause any serious trouble, but still, you need to put certain safeguards.
• More sensitive – This one includes payment account numbers, email addresses, and birth dates. Stolen email addresses may be used to transmit spam messages, while a credit card will be used in fraudulent activities. The birthdate on its own may not be useful, but when combined with a name, it can cause a lot of havoc.
• Most sensitive – This one includes the social security numbers, online account passwords, social insurance numbers, and payment-card security codes. This information can actually create a lot of harm to you or your business.

2. Change the Affected Passwords

Change the password of any account that has been compromised. In fact, if you were using the same password for other accounts, change them as well and create a stronger password. If you have the option of using a two-factor authentication, use it to be more secure. An IT support provider in Houston can be of much help in this case.

3. Contact the Relevant Financial Institutions

If the breach has to do with a payment card number, contact the institution that gave you the card immediately. Talk to an actual human representative so that you can explain yourself and they will notify you in case there is any suspicious activity happening with your account. This way, the bank will cancel that card right away before any harm is done.

4. Talk to the Credit-Reporting Bureaus

Contact the major credit card-reporting bureaus so that they can put a fraud alert to your name. This way, you will know of any suspicious financial activity being conducted under your name.

5. Sign Up For an Identity or Credit-Monitoring Service

Once a victim, you should take precautionary measures. Sign up for services that will monitor your sensitive personal information and your financial accounts.

Most importantly, you must learn from the breach. Let your employees undergo some training concerning security breaches. Of course, there will always be certain loopholes, but the question will always remain how well you have safeguarded your data against breaches.

ICS is an IT support provider in Houston that can help you deal with data breach issues and how to prevent it in the first place. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help keep your data secure.

Jason Simons

ICS is a Texas-based 40-year-old technology company specializing in Managed IT, VoIP, Video Conferencing and Video Surveillance solutions for US and International businesses. ICS has over 4000 regional installations and specializes in multi-site businesses between 25 and 2500 employees. ICS’s customers enjoy the experience of ICS’s Total Care program which provides clients flat fee services with obsolescence and growth protection. Whether a customer elects to deploy their IT, Video Conferencing or VoIP in the cloud or on the customer’s premise, ICS can provide a full turn-key solution for our clients under one flat monthly fee.