By now you may have heard of the massive Facebook data breach that impacted upwards of 856 million users across the globe. While the breach itself happened in 2019, the size and scope went severely underreported and has only come to light in the past weeks. One report suggests that more than three million Canadians had their personal data leaked online, including their phone numbers, email addresses, and birthdates.
If you’re a Facebook user, naturally, your first instinct might be to wonder whether you were impacted by this breach. Since most Canadians recycle variations of the same password across multiple sites, this breach potentially affects any account that uses the same password. Check out the LifeLock breach detection tool to see if your email has been part of a breach in the past. While this free scan won’t give you specifics, it will help you understand if your information has been compromised.
All of this reinforces why cybersecurity solutions are so critical. In fact, online security threats have become so prevalent that Canada is now ranked third in the world, with more than 91 million data records stolen since 2013.
So, what now?
If you’re a Facebook user, it’s a good idea to change your password, and use two-factor authentication whenever possible. You should also be using unique passwords each time. As a general rule, you should continue to be mindful of phishing attempts and refrain from opening questionable emails.
TELUS Online Security can help
Whether you’re working from home, staying connected over social media, banking virtually, or placing grocery orders online, sharing information digitally leaves you vulnerable to cybercriminals. Since the start of the pandemic, cybercrime has increased by 65 percent, so it’s more important than ever to take your cybersecurity seriously. TELUS Online Security (TOS) is now available nationally and offers a number of features to help protect your devices, online privacy, and your identity.
With a password manager, you can ensure each of your logins is unique and complex, without needing to remember each one. TELUS Online Security can help you test the strength of your existing passwords, auto-generate complex ones, and sync your logins across devices.
The faster you discover threats, the quicker you can act to protect your identity and information, which is why the service also offers credit monitoring and dark web notifications. And in the event of identity theft, a restoration specialist will work with you from start to finish to provide the support you need and help restore your identity, plus reimbursement coverage to cover any associated costs stemming from your identity theft incident.
Learn more about the TELUS Online Security features and packages, and take control of your own cybersecurity.