If you are one of the many Americans who had their personal information exposed from the Equifax data breach, you’re likely filled with a number of questions about what to do next. This is a very serious matter that will require due diligence on your part, but keep in mind your identity wasn’t what was stolen in the Equifax breach. Your personal data was exposed. It is important that you now take proactive steps to protect yourself from possible identity theft.

Four Steps to Take After a Data Breach

If you are not using an identity theft monitoring service, you will need to go through a manual process to make sure you are protected. Here are some recommended steps:

#1 Confirm You Were Part of the Breach

You can contact Equifax to see if you were part of the data breach. Although they won’t tell you for certain, if they do feel you were impacted, they will display the following message:

“Based on the information provided, we believe that your personal information may have been impacted by this incident.”

#2 Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

It’s important that you obtain a copy of your credit report and review it in depth to make sure it is accurate. If you see any irregularities, you will need to report them immediately. Store this document in a secure location so you can reference it in the future to identify any changes.

#3 Monitor and Protect Your Credit

Moving forward, you will need to monitor and protect your credit. Keep in mind, a credit monitoring service alone is not enough. Most credit monitoring services do nothing to protect users from the most popular and sophisticated identity crimes. You need to select a service that offers proactive monitoring capabilities and alerts you of high-risk transaction notifications and compromised credential alerting.

#4 Consider Filing a Fraud Alert or Freezing Your Credit

You should also consider filing a fraud alert or freezing your credit accounts entirely. If you’re looking for a short-term solution, filing a fraud alert might be right for you. It lasts up to 90 days and is completely free. Just keep in mind, extending the fraud alert can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a police report.

Freezing your credit is a more secure and long-lasting solution. For a minimal fee, your credit accounts will be frozen. This will prevent anyone from opening an account in your name without having access to all of your information, as well as a 6-10-digit personal identification number. Be aware, if you’re going to apply for something in the future, you will need to thaw or temporarily lift a freeze. This, too, can have a cost associated with it.

If you are not currently using an identity monitoring service, consider protecting your and family’s identities with PrivacyArmor®. To learn more about this AAA benefit, visit AAA.com/IDTheft

This article is provided for general guidance and information. It is not intended, nor should it be construed to be, legal, financial or other professional advice. Please consult with your attorney or financial advisor to discuss any legal or financial issues involved with credit decisions.