From SF Chronicle
Oakland got hacked — and so could you. Here's what to do if it happens
By Nora Mishanec
Hackers released troves of Oakland employees’ personal data online over the weekend, leaving many workers vulnerable to identity theft and reviving long-standing fears about cybersecurity in an increasingly online world...
Here’s what you should know and how to protect yourself.
Take action immediately
Victims of data leaks should change their online banking passwords as soon as possible to protect financial data, said UC Berkeley cybersecurity expert Davis Hake. Closely monitor those accounts for fraud, he said. Be especially vigilant for phishing attacks — emails or texts that try to trick you into clicking a link or divulging sensitive information — or attempts to bypass multifactor authentication controls, a second layer of security to some password-protected accounts...
Claim tax refunds — before the hackers do
Bad actors know how to use leaked financial information to get fraudulent tax refunds, said Sarah Powazek, the program director of UC Berkeley’s Public Interest Cybersecurity initiative...
Davis Hake is a lecturer at the I School. He teaches a course on how to manage cybersecurity risks and has worked across the government and private sector to strengthen national cybersecurity.
Sarah Powazek is the Public Interest Cybersecurity Program Director at the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.
