Overview:
Identity Theft is a rapidly growing crime. Your stolen identity can be used to empty your bank account, take out loans or federal student aid, access your social media, and obtain or change a variety of services in your name. This can wreak havoc on your credit scores.
If you believe your University of Idaho account has been compromised, please change your password immediately. Even if U of I and your account are not related to the incident, report it to security@uidaho.edu or at this link, as soon as possible. Your report allows us to correlate this with others potentially affected, in case any UI vendors or systems may be involved.
Monitor Your Credit and Accounts
You may monitor your credit for free by rotating your annual credit reports at Annual Credit Report. Each report may contain significant payment records, addresses, phone numbers, collections accounts, public records, and your account numbers. Notice when you receive negative marks (such as collections or late payments), and look for any information (such as unfamiliar addresses or loan accounts) that does not belong to you.
A number of services provide identity theft protection and insurance. Your insurance provider may have identity theft insurance that may be bundled with existing insurance plans.
University Employees can add Identity Theft monitoring and insurance for a small fee through the Voluntary Benefits program, see: https://benefits.uidaho.edu
Consider a proactive credit freeze. A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it more difficult for thieves to open new accounts in your name. You can temporarily lift the freeze if you need to apply for credit legitimately. (See links to each credit bureau below.)
Defend Your Phone
Your phone is now used as a method to identify you. As such, your phone number is a ripe target for identity thieves. You may defend against SIM card swaps (an attack used to take over your phone number) by using software-based two-factor authentication (as opposed to SMS-based two-factor authentication) and placing a PIN passcode on your phone account.
For each provider that uses a default PIN, we recommend changing the PIN. To setup or change a PIN, each wireless carrier has their own instructions:
Defend Your Online Accounts
For each of your accounts that support it, we recommend using a two-factor authentication service (such as Duo MFA). You can find additional instructions on improving your login security at LockDownYourLogin.
Ensure you have control of all critical accounts
You should take control of all critical accounts, particularly those that can be used to get credit or obtain loans or government funds:
- Establish and securely maintain your FAFSA (https://studentaid.gov) account even if you aren't applying for aid. This helps prevent an attacker from applying for aid on your behalf.
- Establish and securely maintain your Social Security (https://ssa.gov) account even if you aren't near retirement. This prevents an attacker from trying to obtain benefits on your behalf.
- Establish and securely maintain your IRS login (https://www.irs.gov) to prevent others from filing taxes and getting your tax refunds. You can also establish an Identity Protection PIN to prevent anyone without the PIN from your taxes.
Monitor Your Online Accounts
You may monitor your accounts for password and data leaks by checking with HaveIBeenPwned, a service that tracks major password leaks.
The Federal Trade Commission
The FTC provides a checklist and guide for developing your recovery plan.
The Consumer Financial Protections Bureau
The CFPB provides information on your rights as a consumer, as well as a guide on what to do if your credit or debit card accounts are hacked.
The Internal Revenue Service
The IRS has additional recommendations for compromised Social Security Numbers, or Tax-related identity theft on their Identity Theft website.
Federal Student Aid (FSA)
FSA has resources available to help you avoid student aid fraud or to report if you were a victim.
Freezing Your Credit
You will likely want to freeze your credit following identity theft. Request a credit freeze at each of the following agencies:
Additional Consumer Assistance
In the event that you require additional assistance, the following resources are freely available.
Moving Forward
While Identity theft can be devastating, you have rights and resources. The best defense remains prevention. By securing your personal information, monitoring your accounts, and staying alert to suspicious activity, you can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim.