What to do if you were a corporate hack victim? 5 quick steps to take

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Recent data breaches in top companies underscored the need for consumers to know what they can do to protect themselves if a service they use has suffered a cyber attack. Below are some steps you can take if you believe to have fallen prey to a corporate breach: Image Credit: Reuters

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RESET PASSWORD: Changing password can help prevent the hacker from accessing information such as name, address, contact number and credit card details. If access to your account has been blocked, start the reset process and choose a complex password consisting of symbols and numbers, as well as uppercase and lowercase letters. Avoid passwords similar to old ones. Image Credit: Supplied

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FREEZE CREDIT CARD: If there is any suspicion that credit card information may have has been leaked in a data breach, monitor your credit score for any changes, and consider freezing payments on credit cards to prevent unauthorized payments. "I would remove any saved or stored credit cards, bank accounts or payment methods that you may be using within the app ... because if that malicious actor is still in the environment, they're still looking around for data," said David Lindner, chief information security officer at Contrast Security. Image Credit: Shutterstock

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ENABLE TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION: If an app allows two-factor authentication, use it. Security experts say using two-step verification is one of the best ways to protect an account as it makes it more difficult for a hacker to access key information. Two-factor authentication essentially adds an extra layer of security to the login process, typically requiring the user to give permission on a secondary device. Image Credit: Supplied

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STAY UPDATED: Information is key during cyber attacks. Hence, it is important to stay on top of the developments to follow any mitigatory actions suggested by the company and be aware of what could have been exposed in the hack. Since an attack could disable primary communication channels such as the internal messaging app or email, the website and social media should be monitored for updates. Image Credit:

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ENSURE YOU ARE USING LATEST VERSION OF APP: App providers regularly send updates to their software to remove security vulnerabilities and increase the utility of the program. Keep up with the updates for best security. Image Credit: Archives

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