The Capital One Data Breach and How Victims Can Stay Safe

Capital One suffered a catastrophic data breach in March when its servers were hacked exposing confidential info of more than 100 million bank clients and applicants. The Canadian-American credit card firm failed to protect data for customers from both countries, and somehow fraudsters got access to these files. 

Capital One reported that the attack occurred on March 22 and 23 of this year and led to the cybercriminals peeping into the personal data of individuals who applied for credit cards between 2005 and the first two months of 2019.  

Individual customers, would-be clients, and micro-businesses we affected in the Capital One breach. Names, birth dates, home and email addresses, credit ratings, financial info, SSNs, and Bank account details were exposed to cyber thieves. 

Here’s how much data the hackers accessed:

In the US

• SSNs (social security numbers) – 14,000
• Bank account numbers- 80, 000

In Canada

• SSNs – roughly 1 million

Capital One announced, however, that no sign in details or credit card account numbers were compromised in the breach.

Regrettably, activities in Capital One went on as usual; the card provider only became aware of the hack last month – Jul. 19. 

How Capital One is Responding to the Attack 

The credit card provider said it had set right the loophole that the attacker had used to penetrate its systems and steal confidential data. It also notified federal authorities about the matter. 

Capital one also promised it would extend its gratitude to compromised clients and offer free-of-charge credit supervision and ID protection. The company also said it would alert all compromised clients and applicants. 

Were You Compromised During the Breach? How to Find Out

Capital One promised to send notice letters to US customers whose Social Security numbers or bank account details were revealed. Exposed customers were to hear from Capital One in the first or second week of August.

Capital One customers are advised to watch out for phony calls requesting for Social Security number or any confidential data.

How to Proactively Monitor Your Credit Report

So how can you check your credit status to ensure you are safe?

• Stay on top of your credit reports. Sign up for a credit report from Experian, TransUnion or Equifax, but remember Equifax is getting back on its feet after a recent attack. Monitor reports for any suspicious activity and take action.
• Sign up for a credit monitoring service. You need an eagle’s eye on your credit report and instant alerts for any odd activity. Turn on breach alerts to get red flags in case of fraudulent activity. 

Final Words

Once you notice you’ve been compromised, contact Capital One immediately to get advice on how to stay safe and prevent future attacks.

Author Bio

Payment industry expert Taylor Cole is a passionate merchant account expert who understands the complicated world of accepting credit and debit cards at your business. His understanding of secure trading has helped the industry has helped thousands of business owners save money and time.