What should you do if someone pretends to be “you” online? If this person has access to your accounts? Here are tips against identity theft!

It is probably one of the biggest fears of users on the Internet: identity theft. Whether it's hacked accounts, password fraud, or duplicate social media accounts, there are many ways to compromise a person's digital self.

The Federal Office for Information Security, or BSI for short, has published a checklist on how you can protect yourself against this form of fraud and what measures should be taken if fraudsters have gained access to accounts.

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What to do if you are a victim?

If your digital identity falls into the wrong hands, the result can be the spread of false reports in your name, the publication of sensitive data sets from you or your contacts and even financial damage - depending on which access data criminals have obtained. Data with the greatest possible digital reach or financial opportunities are particularly popular with attackers. This includes data on email accounts, social media profiles, online banking or shopping platforms.

If you have become a victim of a data leak due to third-party access, the following tips should be your first steps:

  • First, get an overview: Which online accounts are actually affected?
  • Now determine an order as to which account credentials you change first, starting with those you to restore other online accounts, among other things
  • Change the passwords, starting with the accounts you use to reset passwords, followed by so -called “single sign-on accounts” ( e.g. the Facebook or Google account that you also use to log into other services can log in).
  • Now the passwords of all other accounts should also be changed.

Here you will find the entire step-by-step guide with all other tips for those affected by identity theft.

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What can you do to avoid becoming a victim in the first place?

Just a little information can be enough to impersonate someone else on some services. It is therefore important to always be clear about what information you publish on the Internet, what payment method you use or what service you use. Taking time to read the terms and conditions and data protection of each service is central to the decision.

In principle, the BSI two-factor authentication for all Internet services , which is now mandatory online banking Every account and access should be secured strong, sufficiently long and individual password These measures should also help you protect your digital identity .

See also:

IT security checklists

Article image: Shutterstock / By rawf8


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