In September, Equifax announced a major security breach that exposed the personal information for about half of U.S. adults.
But most people didn’t do anything to protect themselves. Some checked their credit reports and account statements. Fewer took steps to freeze their credit.
If you haven’t detected any suspicious activity yet, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. The sensitive information stolen from Equifax could be used years from now. Criminals can use it to take over your credit cards, create entirely new accounts without you noticing, and open a loan in your name.
Related: Meet the man who used to steal your identity
The good news, if any, is that the Equifax breach might not increase the chance you’ll become a victim of identity theft, experts say. But only because they believe all that information was already for sale.
“What’s so damning about Equifax is that now all that information is consolidated. Every criminal who gets it knows it’s correct,” said cybercriminal Brett Johnson. He went to prison on charges of fraud in 2006 and served about six years. Now he works as a consultant and speaks to companies about the risk of cybercrime.