IMPORTANT – Optus Data Breach
OPTUS customers – please read…. if like one third of the country, you have received the Optus notification of their hacked systems, which means ALL your sensitive data has been exposed – here are some steps to take to protect yourself from identity theft.
1. Make sure all your financial systems have multi-factor authentications systems – in fact any system that offers this you should implement.
2. Credit agencies – sign up and put a hold on your credit – blocking any new credit requests for 6 months, keep doing this every 6 months, to prevent people applying for credit in your name using your details.
3. Contact your bank and tell them what’s happened – ask them to make a note of this in your file. As your sensitive data has been breached.
4. If your bank uses TEXT/SMS verifications (MFA) switch to Software Tokens (google authenticator etc or other) – if they don’t offer software or hardware tokens – change banks. You will likely be a victim of fraud.
5. Change your phone number, or get a new phone number – eSim (obviously with another provider) – update all your financial systems to use the NEW number. This will prevent scammers from attempting to port your number away and then use your phone/sms verifications to access your bank details.
6. Contact your local Road Authority. If they will not give you a new license with a new license number – inform them your ID information has been stolen by hackers in the Optus break – again ask them to make a note of this against your record.
7. Apply for a new passport requesting a new passport number (if you don’t have to travel in the next couple of months) – if you are travelling shortly this is something you should do when you get back.
Have any questions?
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– Team BKSP
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