Your Social Security Number May Have Been Exposed in a Recent Data Leak. Here's How to Freeze Your Credit

Image source: Getty Images

Unfortunately, data leaks are occurring more often. When a company's data is accessed due to a security breach, your private data is put at risk. Recently, National Public Data, a company that handles background checks, suffered a data breach. Nearly three billion records, including Social Security numbers and other personal data, were impacted.

If your information was exposed in the breach, you may be at risk of having your confidential data used for fraudulent purposes. One example is someone opening a credit card in your name without your permission.

The good news is that freezing your credit can offer some protection. I'll explain how you can freeze your credit with all three credit bureaus.

What does it mean to freeze your credit?

When you freeze your credit, it prevents the credit bureaus from releasing your credit report to creditors. This means that once you freeze your credit, no one can access your credit report or open a new line of credit without your permission.

If you want to apply for a new credit card or personal loan , you must unfreeze your credit first. Freezing your credit can help protect you from fraudsters who could use your personal data to open new accounts under your identity. Doing this can reduce incidents of identity theft.

You must freeze your credit with each credit bureau

The easiest way to freeze your credit is online through each credit bureau's website. While freezing your credit is an easy process, it takes some time -- especially the first time you do it. That's because you must freeze your credit with each of the three credit bureaus individually.

That said, freezing and unfreezing your credit in the future is free and fast after you create an online account with each of the three bureaus. You can also call each credit bureau to do this if you prefer.

Here are the steps you'll need to take for each bureau.

Equifax

First, you'll need to create a free account. Then, take the following steps:

1. Log in to your Equifax account.
2. On the left menu bar, under "Your Identity," select "Freeze."
3. Select "Place a Freeze" to start the process of freezing your credit.
4. Once frozen, you can select "Manage a Freeze" to temporarily lift or permanently remove a freeze on your account.

Alternatively, you can contact Equifax by phone at 1-888-298-0045 to have your credit account frozen. You'll be asked some questions to verify your identity.

Experian

First, you'll need to create a free account. Then, take the following steps:

1. Sign in to your Experian account.
2. On the top menu bar, hover over "Credit."
3. Click on "CreditLock."
4. You'll be shown information about Experian's paid CreditLock service. But if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can freeze your credit for free by clicking "Manage Security Freeze."
5. You can select "Frozen" or "Unfrozen" to freeze or unfreeze your credit account.

If you prefer, you can call Experian at 1-888-397-3742 to freeze your account. You'll be asked to provide some personal information to verify your identity.

TransUnion

First, you'll need to create a free account. Then, take the following steps:

1. Sign in to your TransUnion account by clicking "Log in" under "Service Center."
2. On the top menu bar, click "Credit Freeze."
3. Select "Add Freeze" to start the process of freezing your credit.
4. Once frozen, you can select "Manage a Freeze" to temporarily lift or permanently remove a freeze on your account.

Alternatively, you can contact TransUnion by phone at 1-800-916-8800 to have your credit account frozen. You must verify your identity over the phone to do this.

Note: TransUnion is currently experiencing widespread login issues. I had issues logging back into my account and saw many others sharing similar experiences on social media. If you struggle to log back into your account, you can call TransUnion to freeze or unfreeze your credit

Protect your identity and your finances

Now more than ever, taking steps to protect your identity is important. Even if you choose to freeze your credit, it's still wise to review your credit reports regularly. You can get a copy of your credit report for free from each credit bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com . Free weekly reports are available to all consumers.

If you notice anything unusual or errors on your report, file a complaint with the credit bureau. By taking extra care and being alert to signs of identity theft, you can better protect your personal data and finances.

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .