Identity Theft:  Preventing, Detecting and Responding

In the increasingly digital world, personal information is a prime target for various types of identity theft. Knowing the key forms of theft, some preventative measures to take, and how to detect and respond to identity theft is more important than ever. Primary forms of theft include financial, medical, and tax-related thefts. What can you do to protect yourself?

• Use strong account passwords, an encrypted password manager, and enable multifactor authentication, wherever possible.
• Ensure that any devices with online access have the most current software updates, which often have patches for security-related issues.
• Use credit cards (rather than debit cards) for online purchases, since credit cards often have greater protective measures against fraud.

Should you unfortunately fall victim to theft, report the event immediately to your credit card companies, bank, and local law enforcement, and place a fraud alert with credit reporting bureaus. See below for more.

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These tips are courtesy of the ACBA Legal Technology and e-Discovery Committee, the February 2024 OUCH! Newsletter (a free monthly security awareness newsletter published by the SANS Institute).