My information was found on the darkweb, what do I do now?

How can I best protect myself with passwords?

Verizon reported in its annual Data Breach Investigations Report that 81% of hacking-based data breaches were a result of either stolen of weak passwords. You need to stay above the curve to best protect yourself from these cyberthieves. Here are some ways to best safeguard your accounts:

Utilize the power of password and text message to log in

Lots of large companies use two-factor authentication now. Without using two-factor authentication, you enter in your username and password, and then you're done. In this instance, there is only one-factor to sign-in. The second layer of security makes your account more secure. Upon signing into an account, you may receive a push notification asking you to enter a code that was sent to either your email or via text message. Even gas stations require two-factor authentication. Once you stick your credit card into the machine to pay, it will prompt you to enter your zip code. This is two-factor authentication. Whenever you see an option to sign-up for two-factor authentication, enable it.

Come up with strong passwords

‘Password’ as a password won’t cut it anymore. Data thieves and cybercriminals are getting smarter and can easily hack into your accounts. Technology is constantly improving, so you need to come up with a very secure password. We recommend using upper case, lower case, numbers, symbols, and special characters all in one password. Remember not to use any personally identifiable information as a password. Definitely do not use your social security number, phone number, or birthday. Also, ensure that you do not use simple adjacent keyboard combinations like “qwerty” or “123456”. Here is an example of a secure password: #Y0uar3secur3#1*2=2.

Never reuse passwords

Reusing passwords can be detrimental if a data breach occurs. If a data thief can get your password for one website, they can get it for all. Change your password from website to website.

Invest in a password management system

The leading password management systems are able to securely store your passwords, credit card number, special notes, bank accounts, and addresses. Some password management systems can even generate passwords for you. Do your password management system homework on which services can best safeguard you and your information. Do not write down passwords in plain sight or on a piece of paper. If this gets stolen, you are exposing yourself to whoever has those credentials.

Stay protected with TrackOFF Plus

TrackOFF's Dark Web Monitoring searches all around the internet to see if your information has been compromised on the dark web. Remember that 81% of hacking-based data breaches were a result of either stolen of weak passwords.