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You get an alert saying your Social Security number, email address or other personal information showed up in a breach. Your first thought may be, What did someone do with it?
I get why that can be unnerving. An alert can sound serious without telling you whether a criminal actually opened an account, took over something you already use or did nothing at all.
The first thing I want you to know is that exposure and identity theft are not the same thing. Exposure gives you a reason to pay attention. Identity theft means someone has actually misused your information. And if that happens, getting your identity back in order can turn into a lot of work.
IS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON THE DARK WEB?
Here's how identity restoration actually works and what I recommend doing if you suspect someone has misused your information.
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A fraud alert can be your first sign that something is wrong, but it does not automatically mean someone has stolen your identity. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
Identity monitoring is the early-warning side of identity protection. Depending on the service, monitoring may watch for suspicious activity involving your credit files, financial accounts and places online where personal information could surface. The FTC explains that credit monitoring typically watches your credit report for changes such as new accounts or inquiries. Identity monitoring may look beyond your credit report for other signs that someone is using your information.
An alert could point you toward a new credit inquiry, an unfamiliar account or personal information found in a breach. However, an alert cannot tell the whole story. You still need to determine whether the activity is legitimate and decide what action to take. I would not panic over every notification. Read the alert carefully. Look at exactly what information was involved and save the notice in case you need it later.
Restoration is the hands-on work of recovering after identity theft. That may mean contacting a bank or credit bureau, disputing fraudulent activity, replacing compromised documents or securing an account.
Identity theft can also reach beyond your credit report. Someone could use stolen information to open a new account or take over one you already have. A thief may even use your identity for tax or government benefit fraud. The recovery process depends on what the criminal actually did.