It was recently reported that up to 800,000 individuals may have been affected in a data breach at Orbitz, a company owned by Expedia. These cybercriminals were able to gain access to names, addresses, credit card numbers, birth dates, phone numbers, and email addresses. This incident is yet another example of how vulnerable your personal information is to theft.

If you believe your personal information was compromised, there are several immediate steps you can take to secure your personal financial data, including:

1. Obtain a credit report: Annualcreditreport.com offers free credit reports from the three, main credit reporting agencies at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
2. Apply for a credit-monitoring service. Most banks offer a credit monitoring service to customers for a nominal, monthly fee.
3. Freeze your credit. A credit freeze can be requested for a nominal fee from all three credit-reporting agencies.
4. Request a fraud alert. If freezing your credit is not a viable option, a fraud alert may be requested from the three credit reporting agencies.
5. Closely monitor all your financial accounts (bank, credit card, investments, loans, etc.).

If you or your business have been affected in any way from the Orbitz data breach or need guidance and advice with cybersecurity matters, the advisors of LB Goodman & Co are here to help.