One of the latest news stories this week involves a major data leak concerning AT&T. The company revealed that the account information of 7.6 million current and 65 million former customers was exposed on the dark web in mid-March. The leaked details include full names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, account numbers and passcodes, and social security numbers.
However, a family member of mine received an early warning about being part of the affected group of 72.6 million individuals. On March 22, they received an email from Google in their Gmail inbox with the subject line: “You have new dark web results.”
Upon clicking the link, they were taken to their Google One dark web monitoring results page, which displayed the triggering information as well as other associated data found in the results. Despite their social security number not being included in their monitoring profile, they still received a comprehensive overview of the leaked information.
As a result, they were prepared last week with credit report freezes already in place, password and passcode updates completed, even before AT&T officially addressed the situation. They even had time to assist other family members and discuss their experience with me. Previously, I had only seen Google One report on data breaches and leaks that I was already aware of.
The only downside to using Google’s dark web monitoring service is that it is not free, with Google One plans starting at $20 per year. However, it can be shared with up to five other users, each able to create their own dark web monitoring profile. Additionally, these subscriptions come with increased cloud storage as a key feature.
Having access to timely security information can be incredibly valuable, especially considering the frequency of large data leaks and breaches in today’s world. If Google’s service is not to your liking, there are similar alternatives available, such as those within antivirus software. While most antivirus plans I have tested track similar information to Google One, none have been as quick to raise a red flag as Google.
Even if you do not use a paid dark web monitoring service, you can take proactive steps to enhance your online security. This includes using unique strong passwords to prevent credential stuffing attacks, implementing two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized account access, and avoiding easily discoverable information as security question answers. Utilizing a reliable password manager can simplify the management of these security measures.
