So ive been following this really close... plus as someone who has IT background... really worried about what this might mean for our future regarding cyber security.

In comparison to what happened to Target... this is unprecedented. This isn't just names and Credit Card info... its SSN, DOB, Address and information that can be used to open, change, or validate existing accounts you already have.

I have...
Called important and critical accounts to add additional security measure... investment, brokerage, health... to add things like a PIN number for additional layer of security.

With the SSN and DOB alone, someone can use that information to social engineer existing companies... the PIN is your last line of defense (if applicable). Remember, without this, it is the SSN and DOB that is used to verify identity. Your social security number is now your Social Liability Number.

I have signed up for advanced credit monitoring though Experian... this includes insurance coverage for identity theft.

Equifax does offer this for free, and I have tried to sign up and double down on protection, but I have yet to receive a confirmation from them.

To be honest I don't really trust the company that got breached to provide that monitoring so I signed up though someone else too... Their CEOs are too busy selling stocks to report the breach... might want to read up on that too. Sounds like insider trading to me.

I have also issued a Fraud Alert for a 90 day rolling subscription.
https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html

You can go further and freeze your accounts but you need to understand the Pros/Cons for that as well.

Freezing your credit, must do all three, if you do them in this order you can use the same PIN # for all three, use the one assigned by Equifax.
https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freez...onalIDInfo.jsp (Free)
https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/freeze ($10.00 Fee)
https://freeze.transunion.com/ ($10.00 Fee)

I feel like I need to take it seriously... it may not be now, but someone out there has this information... It could be years, but if you are impacted, your life will change because identity theft is a PITA to undo, and expensive... both time and money.

https://www.fool.com/credit-cards/20...how-to-pr.aspx

https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/
and click on "potential impact"

What to do......
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/20...breach-what-do

AND... I started this thread so others can share ideas or things they have done to protect themselves... Even after doing all that, you still cant help but feel a bit helpless. We are really at the mercy of the hackers who now own this information. Its going to be a lifetime of watching over our backs unless sometimes makes some big changes at a government level.