ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Many people worry about cyber criminals lurking on the web trying to seal our personal information.
- Protecting yourself against online identity theft
- Freeze credit, change passwords
"It's something that I worry about and also my banking. Everybody's heard a story about somebody who's hacked into their account," said one consumer.
Dark web scans are promoted as a way to discover if your personal information is on the underground platform.
Computer security expert Jacob Lott says, unfortunately, the benefits of dark web scans are likely pretty limited.
"No one gives away data and information for free," Lott said.
Lott said it is more effective to pay attention and take action if a company sends you notice that your account might be breached.
One important thing you can do to protect yourself if you think your identity is compromised is to freeze your credit. That makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. And it's easier than ever to do — just make a request online or by phone to the three credit bureaus. And it's free, thanks to a new law that recently took effect.
Also, be sure to change your password often and make them complex.
"Never use your kids names, your pets names, or your birthday," Lott said.
Hackers on the dark web are very resourceful. So no matter what you do. Nothing is 100 percent fool-proof, but taking these precautions and being vigilant about monitoring your credit is your best defense.