The breach of your private data might not only lead to the disclosure of personal information that you would rather not be made public but also financial and reputational harm. According to Consumer Affairs, so far this year some 47% of consumers experienced a data breach of some sort with their personal information. When your private data has been breached, the prospect of harm is real. If you have received a letter from any company noting that your privacy has been breached, working with a privacy lawyer as soon as possible after the breach has been identified will help mitigate the harm and address any related risks.
Notifications of Data Breaches Should Not be Taken Lightly
Receiving a letter in the mail or your email notifying you that your personal information has been compromised and accessed by an unauthorized third party in a data breach may be just the start of your problems. While the access that allowed data breaches may be closed, the information that was stolen can still be used. You might wonder exactly what information was accessed, what the third party could do with your information, and how you can protect yourself.
Determining what information was accessed is important to identify any risks that might be present to your finances, your credit, and even your identity. Bad actors like hackers target email addresses, credit card and social security numbers, social media login data, and a variety of other sorts of information.
Information Theft Can Lead to Long-Term Consequences
The risk of identity theft rises as malicious third parties are able to collect more and more information about you. Identity theft includes the taking out of loans and credit cards in your name which, until rectified, can impact your credit and financial opportunities. In some instances, false identifications have been provided to the police, which means your record may reflect a crime that was actually committed by the identity thief.
Steps to Take After Your Data Breach
If you have received notice that your personal data has been breached, there are some immediate steps that you can take to help minimize the harm that you experience, including:
- Changing all passwords that could be associated with the breach
- Moving finances out of any accounts that could possibly be breached
- Contacting your credit card companies for any cards or accounts associated with the breach to determine if unauthorized charges have occurred and/or to put them on notice of the breach
- Contacting a privacy attorney
The extent of financial and even reputational harm that you may experience can be extensive, therefore prompt action is necessary. Even when harm is minimized, you may still have a legal right to compensation for any costs and damages associated with the data breach.
Connect with a Privacy Law Attorney to Discuss Options
To discuss your potential claim with an attorney from Zimmerman Reed, visit our site and schedule a consultation.