In the News
Another data breach hits the student market. In Chegg Rests 40 Million User Passwords After Data Breach, Zack Whittaker from TechCrunch discusses a data breach at Chegg that left about 40 million users’ email addresses, addresses, and account information vulnerable. Whittaker explains that passwords will be reset by Chegg and that Chegg the company insists financial information was not compromised.
Our Take
Chegg, a technology giant specializing in textbook rental, is a trusted source for academic support and cheaper course materials used by university and high school students alike. Such a large data breach at this type of company impacts students, who often are less familiar with the impact of a data breach, the most. Not only was account information breached, but more personal information such as postal addresses and emails was also exposed. This could potentially be dangerous and lead to email phishing scams and physical security risks. Understanding how to spot an email scam is especially important for students given the largescale impact of the Chegg breach.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your personal information when using various accounts?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Refrain from choosing passwords that contain a simple word or phrase–create strong passwords and change them every so often
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities
- Stay up to date on news covering recent breaches to see if you may have been affected