Another large-scale data breach was confirmed recently, which included access to millions of names, addresses, and social security numbers.

A data breach is a security violation or incident leading to the theft of sensitive or critical data or its exposure to an unauthorized person. This may include personally identifiable information (PII), financial details, and other proprietary informational data being compromised, putting all consumers at risk.

Because these types of data breaches are becoming increasingly common, we wanted to remind you of steps you can take on a regular basis to protect your personal information and identity.

Steps to take:

• Check your credit report. Once a year, you're able to request a free credit report from each of the three major reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com. If you have a copy of your credit report, but have questions about it, contact us. We can talk you through it.

• Consider placing a freeze on your credit. A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, preventing unauthorized people/fraudsters from opening new credit accounts in your name. Need to apply for a new loan or credit card? No problem, you can temporarily lift the credit freeze.
To add a credit freeze, contact each of the three credit bureaus directly:

Equifax
Online: equifax.com
By phone: 1-866-349-5191
By mail: PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374

Experian
Online: Experian.com
By phone: 1-888-397-3742
By mail: PO Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013

Transunion
Online: Transunion.com
By phone: 1-800-916-8800
By mail: PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022

* Consider placing a freeze on your Chexsystems record. Chexsystems is a third-party agency that collects information on mishandled accounts. While not all financial institutions use Chexsystems, it can be a useful precaution to take in preventing someone setting up other financial accounts using your information.
Online: Chexsystems.com
By phone: 1-800.887.7652
By mail: Chex Systems, Inc., Attn: Security Freeze Department, PO Box 583399, Minneapolis, MN 55458