What to do when a data breach occurs

NASA Federal takes the safety of your information seriously. Below is information about the 2017 Equifax data breach. Many of the tips can be used to help you protect your data if similar breaches occur.

EQUIFAX BREACH

About the Equifax Breach

Equifax announced in September 2017 that a data breach occurred, in which hackers accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some cases, driver’s license numbers. According to the FTC, hackers stole 147 million names and dates of birth, 145 million Social Security numbers, and 209,000 credit and debit card numbers and expiration dates.

How can I protect myself?

Here are some steps you can take to help protect yourself after the Equifax data breach or other breaches you may discover:

• Check the FTC website regarding the Equifax Breach and Settlement here. You can check to see if your information was affected.
  
  
• Consider signing up for an identity theft monitoring service. There are many services available that can help secure your identity. Equifax is offering consumers affected by the breach free credit monitoring as part of their settlement with the FTC.
  
  
• Check your credit report for free by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft.
  
  
• Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize.
  
  
• Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you might be a victim of identity theft. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. You can place a fraud alert by contacting the following Credit Bureaus:
  • Experian: call 1-888-397-3742 or visit the website
  • Equifax: call 1-800-685-1111 or visit the website
  • TransUnion: call 1-800-680-7289 or visit the website
    
    
• Watch out for email phishing attacks. Data breaches often generate phishing attempts in which thieves pose as the affected company to trick you into giving up your personal information.
  
  
• Enroll your NASA Federal Credit or Debit Card in the Card Fraud Alert text service to receive text messages if suspicious transactions are detected on your card account. You can instantly respond to the texts to verify transactions to protect your account from fraud.
  
  
• Visit the NASA Federal Security Center for information on more ways to protect your personal information.

If you notice any fraudulent activity on your NASA Federal Accounts, please report it as soon as possible by calling us at 1-888-627-2328. Additional information on the Equifax data breach is available from the Federal Trade Commission at this website: https://consumer.ftc.gov