Christopher Nicak is an entrepreneur in the IT industry. In the following article, Chris Nicak discusses ways that individuals can protect themselves from identity theft caused by failures (or absence) of cybersecurity. Most experts believe that every 22 seconds, someone in America becomes a victim of identity theft. And the issue keeps getting worse. There were 5.7 million reports of fraud and identity theft in 2021, 1 million more reports than the previous year. Roughly a third of all Americans are thought to have experienced an attempt at stealing their identity. Data breaches involving individuals, governments, hospitals, and businesses, expose personal and sensitive information stored in different digital forms, from web browsers 3to text messages. Chris Nicak reports that they are a big factor in the recent rise of identity theft cases, with cases rising 68% in 2021 compared to 2020. Below, more on how to protect yourself from these unseen threats is discussed.

Christopher Nicak on Knowing What Information is at Risk

Chris Nicak explains that data breaches — both small and large scale — can reveal everything from online passwords to credit card and social security numbers. Identify thieves use this data for a variety of reasons, including tax refund claims and draining bank accounts. Sometimes, one’s entire identity is assumed. Christopher Nicak of Kentucky says that the first layer of protection is understanding what has the potential of being exposed in any type of data breach. That means that strategic action can be taken — and taken quickly.

Know the Signs

Identity theft can happen to anyone at any time. Sometimes the signs can be challenging to uncover — and there are many of them. Some warning signs include:

• Odd charges appearing on banking statements or strange credit card charges.
• New loans or additional credit cards are taken out in one's name without their knowledge.
• A large and sudden credit score drop.
• Medical bills that are unfamiliar or maxed out health insurance benefits.
• Difficulty signing into online accounts with the usual username and password.

Get Monitoring Help

Christopher Nicak of Kentucky says that identity theft can be easy to spot but in some cases it’s complicated. Personal details can be shared among scammers or hackers and used in increasingly sophisticated ways. Either before or after identity theft, numerous identity monitoring services, such as McAfee, can track the web to see where your information has landed. They can also provide guidance on how to prevent theft in the future.

Review all Accounts

One of the most common results of identity theft is seen in personal banking reports Chris Nicak. A good first step if theft is suspected is freezing credit. With a credit freeze, no one can open a credit line in another’s name. All three of the major credit bureaus allow credit freezing and it can be unfrozen at any time. All financial statements should also be reviewed, including credit reports, and credit and debit card statements, as soon as possible.

Call Financial Institutions

In addition to giving all financial statements a good read, it’s important to contact one’s bank, mortgage providers, and any other lenders to let them know that personal data is compromised. Usually, they can look for any suspicious activity.

Rethink Passwords

Strong passwords go a long way in preventing future identity theft. Using a form of two-factor authentication is one of the best ways to prevent a password breach, and passwords should be changed regularly, perhaps every month or so if possible. Even with a strong password, it’s also a good practice to not use the same password across multiple accounts online. Chris Nicak says that investing in a password manager can help people store and create passwords that are both unique and appropriately complex. Other security measures are available. Antivirus software is one of the most effective ways to prevent someone from gaining control of data online and also stealing information through malware. Such software extensively blocks forms of viruses and malware.

Proceed With Caution

Identifying and taking specific action against identity theft may only be the beginning. Cyber thieves are crafty and relentless. Chris Nicak says that the data that’s stolen may be used to create phishing emails to get even more personal information. Some cybercriminals even use such emails as a form of internet extortion, looking to get people to transfer money to them via online platforms. Never respond to such emails and never open attachments in emails sent by someone unrecognized. Such attacks can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.