In the News
Identity theft may be a danger lurking when you pay for local services. In Hackers Have Planted Credit Card Stealing Malware on Local Government Payment Sites, Zack Whittaker from Tech Crunch discusses a recent and ongoing breach of credit card and other personal information from local government payment sites used to pay for utilities and various permits. Whittaker states that Click2Gov was the service breached, most likely by a skilled team of hackers who uploaded malware capable of deciphering user information. Click2Gov has emphasized that local governments will need to implement patches independently.
Our Take
No one wants to risk having their identity stolen when simply performing their civic responsibilities. However, the reality of identity theft continues to increase in frequency. Having your financial and personal information stolen can be quite harmful to your finances and privacy. What makes this breach more dangerous is the amount of detail the hackers may be able to extract, giving them copious amounts of personal information that may put you at risk for identity theft. With the number of individuals who utilize government payment sites, it is important to be mindful of your online actions as well as encourage your local governments to stay up to date on current technologies and updates.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your personal and financial information when making online payments?
- Be cautious when making online payments and pay in person when possible
- Track your finances closely to spot abnormal activity before it becomes harmful, reporting such anomalies to your financial institution.
- Stay up to date on current security breaches to see if you may have been impacted