October 2017 – Data breaches

In recent headlines, you may have seen tons of information about the security breach involving a company which we trust with our most sensitive information.

A data breach involving Equifax, a consumer credit reporting agency, has left all of our information in the hands of an unknown team of hackers.

With over 143 million people affected by this breach, it is important to do everything in our power to keep our information safe.

But Equifax has not been the only entity to experience such a data breach.

The Internal Revenue Service was breached at the peak of tax season in 2016 as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield, a health insurance provider, which was hit by a cyber-attack in 2015.

Some breaches don’t always happen through third-parties.

There are times when we give our information to the wrong people because they introduce themselves to us as somebody they are not.

There are many examples of these types of situations, but some of the main ones include the “Nigerian Prince” e-mail scam as well as the phone call from an unknown family member in need of money.

Though plenty of other popular companies have been hit with data breaches within the last decade, there are many ways to protect yourself and your family members from these breaches before they happen.

For more information on data breaches and how to watch for different scams, please look for our upcoming blog series on these topics.

Owens & Perkins does not provide legal services regarding the data breach, stolen identities or identity protection. This newsletter was written and published as a public service announcement to our valued clients.