The sad reality is that no one cares about your data so you need to. With the Equifax security breach, more than half of the adults in the US had all of their personal information leaked. It is inconceivable that something like this could happen. Even worse, everyone is on their own to figure out what to do now in order to be as protected as possible.
So now what? Start with putting a freeze on your credit. What this means is that you will need to provide a PIN code when doing anything that will need a credit check. This will prevent anyone with your information from doing things like opening a credit card in your name. I just did this and it took about 15 minutes or so and was easy enough to get done. As of October 2018, all of the credit agencies need to do this for free. Just go to the below sites and sign up online. Each site will walk you through the process and ask for some of your information to prove it is you. Once completed, you will have a PIN code and your credit freeze will be activated.
Now that you are in a better place with your credit, it is time to go get a password manager and never look back. With a password manager, you can securely document the credit freeze pin codes that were created. Now you have an easy look-up whenever they are needed. Trust me, the time you need the PIN code is not the time to figure out how to find it because it is written down someplace or hidden in an old email….
