Debt Reduction Advice | Debt Reduction Advice

One reason it’s so important to monitor one’s credit record is because even people who are meticulous about their own data security could end up with their sensitive personal data being compromised.

Hackers have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to break into large computer networks and steal the Social Security numbers and other data of thousands of people at a time, from retail store customers to hospital patients and many others in between.

One of the latest examples was featured on a report by KFVS-TV in Illinois, involving a data breach at the University of Southern Illinois that compromised the Social Security numbers and other data of about 900 alumni.

The television station noted that one student has detected some suspicious things on their credit report since then, but it remains unclear if this is due to the breach in question.

Another example from a different type of institution comes from California, where a San Jose Mercury News report cited a data breach in that state’s Department of Health Care Services that affected about 50,000 people. In that case, Social Security numbers were disclosed on envelopes, providing an easy opportunity for would-be identity thieves.