Security

Criminals commonly obtain personal information through data breaches, phishing scams, and malware. Data breaches occur when organizations fail to adequately secure databases, exposing sensitive details like Social Security numbers or financial accounts. Attackers also use phishing—deceptive communications—to trick people into providing personal information, or malware to secretly capture data from devices.

The impact of data breaches is intensified because criminals and data brokers often re-identify anonymous or partially anonymized data from multiple leaks. Understanding these risks helps you recognize when your privacy rights are at stake and take prompt action.

This is a difficult question because the best approach depends on your personal circumstances, including your technology usage and comfort level. We avoid overly specific technological advice due to rapidly evolving threats and solutions. However, some universally helpful practices include familiarizing yourself with security settings on apps and services you regularly use.

Enable available security features like multifactor authentication, and use a password manager to create and securely store strong, unique passwords. These foundational practices help you protect your information effectively without relying on advice that quickly becomes outdated.

If your data is exposed, state and federal laws guarantee your right to be notified of the breach. Act quickly—review the notification, change affected passwords, monitor financial and credit accounts, and consider placing fraud alerts or credit freezes to protect yourself against identity theft.

If identity theft or fraud occurs, you have additional rights, such as filing an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov, and potentially pursuing legal remedies, especially under California law.

It depends. Under California’s CCPA, you have the right to sue a company if sensitive personal information—such as your Social Security number, driver’s license, or financial account details—is compromised due to inadequate security practices. You may be eligible for actual damages or statutory damages up to $750 per breach, even without proving specific financial losses.

In other states, consumer protection laws may similarly allow you to join class-action lawsuits or prompt actions by state Attorneys General against negligent companies responsible for data breaches.

If you experience identity theft, you have specific rights and resources available. Report identity theft to the FTC through IdentityTheft.gov, which will help you document the incident and develop a personalized recovery plan. You also have the right to place free fraud alerts or credit freezes on your credit reports to prevent further misuse.

California residents have additional rights to file police reports specifically for identity theft, assisting with the removal of fraudulent accounts and charges from credit reports. Victim service organizations can also provide further assistance.