• Overview

    On ⁨September 16, 2015⁩, ⁨Experian (2015)⁩ was breached. Once the breach was discovered and verified, it was added to our database on ⁨September 6, 2016⁩.
    Why did it take so long to report this breach?

    What data was compromised:

    • IP addresses
    • Phone numbers
    • Email addresses
    • Dates of birth
    • Physical addresses

    Breach data provided by Have I Been Pwned

    What to do to protect your personal info

    Though passwords weren’t exposed in this breach, there are still steps you can take to better protect your personal info.

    Use a VPN to mask your IP address

    Your Internet Protocol address (IP address) pinpoints your location and internet service provider. A service like ⁨Mozilla VPN⁩ masks your IP address to hide your location.

    Try ⁨Mozilla VPN⁩
    Avoid sharing your phone number

    Try to avoid giving out your phone number when signing up for new accounts or services. If a phone number isn’t required, don’t enter it.

    Avoid using personal info in PINs

    Because your date of birth is easy to find in public records, it’s best to avoid using it in passwords and PINs. People who know your birthday could also very easily guess your PIN.

    Avoid using addresses in passwords

    Using addresses or the street where you grew up weaken your passwords. Since it’s easy to find this info publicly, it makes these passwords easy to guess.

    Use unique, strong passwords for every account

    Password reuse puts all your accounts at risk. This means that if one password gets exposed, hackers have the keys to many accounts.

    Store passwords in a safe place

    Put your login details in a secure place only you can access, such as a password manager. This also makes it easy to keep track of all your different passwords.

    Be cautious about giving out personal information

    Don’t hand out personal data if you don’t have to. If you are asked to enter or give out your email address, ZIP code, or phone number, you can say no.

    Update software and apps regularly

    Updating your smartphone apps, browsers, and operating systems makes your devices more secure. These updates fix bugs, software vulnerabilities, and security problems.

    What is a website breach?

    A website data breach happens when cyber criminals steal, copy, or expose personal information from online accounts. It’s usually a result of hackers finding a weak spot in the website’s security. Breaches can also happen when account information gets leaked by accident.

    Why did it take so long to report this breach?

    It can sometimes take months or years for credentials exposed in a data breach to appear on the dark web. Breaches get added to our database as soon as they have been discovered and verified.