Why & Where You Should Plant Your Flag
Summary: Krebs on Security argues that people should create online accounts at credit bureaus, the Social Security Administration, the IRS, the DMV, the Postal Service, ISPs and utilities before identity thieves register in their place, since most of these entities allow only one registrant per person. The post notes that thieves who gain an inbox can reset passwords for tied services, that SIM swapping lets attackers divert text-message codes, and that Equifax and Experian weakened the security of freeze PINs after earlier breaches.
What's compelling: A single registrant per customer means an impostor who registers first with your Social Security number and birthday holds the account, and dislodging them is far harder than claiming it yourself; the cost of planting the flag is only your time.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
- Topics
- Data Breaches
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