Have you been hacked? Has your information leaked because someone else was hacked? In these situations, it’s important to know how to move forward in a good way. First steps include changing passwords and engaging identity and credit protection services.

Good Passwords

In a world where we use passwords to sign into online accounts, there are a few best practices that can help prevent the worst.

  1. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Your life might seem easier because you can remember one password to log in everywhere. However, if one account is hacked, that information might get someone into your other accounts, too.
  2. Do use a password manager, both to store logins and generate passwords. Be content with creating unmemorable passwords that you can just look up, copy, and paste — or autofill. I recommend 1Password. You can also generate unique passwords using built-in tools on your Mac or iOS device.
  3. It’s okay to save passwords in your web browser as long your computer password is unique, since that’s what protects them. (If you use Firefox, make sure to set a primary password to protect your list of saved logins.)

Use Identity Protection

I learned that my information was included in the Facebook hack via a notification from MasterCard Identity Protection, which I have as a free benefit through my Apple Card account. Services like this often cost $10–40 per month.

While you might be able to monitor your credit, identity, and other sensitive information on your own, I find this kind of service a major convenience in cases like this. Learn more and decide for yourself.

Learn About Other Leaks

You can proactively find out where else your information might have gotten loose by looking up your email address or phone number on Have I Been Pwned? The site also offers to send notifications if your info appears in newly reported leaks.

As always, you can reach out to me for more insight about any of these apps and services or for help getting set up. One of my primary skills is navigating interfaces and knowing where to look for on the screen for specific links and actions, so I can help you efficiently.