Some things in life are absolutely not within our control, and sometimes that includes getting involved in a data breach for a service that you use.
Nowadays, it happens all too often. In April 2025, several major Australian super funds were involved in a coordinated cyber attack that compromised more than 20,000 accounts.
While getting your account hacked is something you have little control over, what’s important is that you take the right steps forward.
Update Your Passwords
The first thing you should do is change your password at once. Start with the service that notified you of the breach. Then change the password on all other accounts that used that same password.
Reusing passwords, even passwords from ages ago is something absolutely we highly discourage as these passwords may have been involved in a breach before and can still be used by bad actors for credential stuffing.
The best way to manage passwords? Use a password manager. It helps you generate strong passwords, where you won’t necessarily need to memorize all of them.
Activate Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
We cannot stress enough the importance of this. Multifactor authentication (MFA) can protect your accounts even if a hacker has your password. First, enable MFA for the breached service, then activate it for all other accounts where possible.
While it’s not a foolproof way to protect your account, having MFA can stop nearly all automated attacks. Now that is something!
Monitor Your Bank Accounts
If your payment card details were breached, we highly suggest to report the breach to your bank and have them issue you a new card. Better safe than sorry!
Notifying your bank about 3rd party breach can help keep you from being held responsible for fraudulent chargers. Your bank would then give you appropriate steps to avoid fraud. Follow them!
Place a Credit Freeze
When a breach happens, bad actors will often sell bulk of these information in the dark web. These details can enable someone to take out a credit in your name. Let credit agencies know to freeze your credit to protect you.
Thoroughly Review the Breach Notification
If it’s your first time receiving a breach notification, it’s important to know how exactly this data breach is affecting you. These three things are a definite must-know for you as one of the affected people by the breach.
- The type of data that was exposed(email,passwords, card numbers etc,)
- What are they currently doing about it? (Are they monitoring your credit? Suspend all transactions?)
- Instructions given to help you secure your account
Often times, the affected company won’t know the full scale of the breach. Regularly check back for updates on their website or through their emails.
Invest in Strong Cybersecurity Tools
For your personal devices, there are simple tools you can use to better protect them. These can be: a good antivirus or anti-malware program, DNS filtering to block malicious sites, spam filters for your email to avoid phishing attempts, considering using VPNs especially when using public Wi-Fi.
Stay Alert for Phishing Attempts
Emails are often included in data breaches. This means you may be highly susceptible to email phishing attempts. With AI nowadays, these attempts can get pretty convincing.
You need to be alert starting now for any unusual emails, even the one from your service providers. Remember to follow these steps everytime:
- Hover over all links before clicking them
- If it’s from your service provider, go to the websites directly. Don’t click weird links asking you to reset your password or what not
- Be wary of unusual senders
Regularly Update Software & Systems
Bad actors would often exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. Make sure to update your device operating system. Update all apps or software on your devices. Update firmware for routers and printers. Update firmware for smart devices. Update everything!
Time to Monitor Your Online Identity
Websites like Have I Been Pwned allow you to check if your email or password has appeared in known data breaches. Regularly check them and if you see your credentials there, then it’s time to think of a new combination you’ll most likely forget at some point again
Managed Cybersecurity Is A Great Option
Managed services can keep you protected at work and home. It can actively protect your devices, network and emails, keeping you safe from bad actors trying to get to you. Learn more about our managed cybersecurity services
