What to Do If Your SSN Is Leaked

Start with the steps that block new accounts from being opened in your name. A credit freeze at each of the three nationwide credit bureaus is free and prevents most new credit from being issued until you lift it. A fraud alert is an alternative or addition that asks lenders to verify identity.

Then protect the accounts most likely to be targeted: email, banking, tax, and government benefit accounts. Unique passwords and MFA on the email account are especially important because it receives password-reset messages for everything else.

If the exposed numbers came from records your business maintains—payroll, HR, benefits, or customer files—the situation requires more than personal protection. Preserve evidence, involve your IT or security provider, review who had access, and consult qualified counsel about any notification obligations under applicable state or federal law.

Reduce future exposure by collecting Social Security numbers only when required, limiting who can view them, encrypting stored records, and disposing of records securely when they are no longer needed.