[Software]PowerSchool hackers have your kid’s info. These 3 steps will protect them

[Maheso]

You may have heard the news about the PowerSchool breach—hackers breaking into a software system that helps schools keep track of student data, then demanding a ransom in exchange for not leaking the information. Depending on the school and its data storage practices, the student data stolen can include social security numbers, in addition to names, addresses, and birth dates.

Bad actors having your child’s name and social security number is a risk with potential far-reaching consequences. Scammers can trash their ability to open a credit card, get a bank account, land a job, or secure an apartment. And since most people don’t expect a child to be targeted this way, the damage often has long set in by the time it’s discovered.

You can take protective measures as your child’s guardian, though. Three steps will help safeguard their financial reputation by halting unauthorized access to credit, banking, and tax information. Even if your children aren’t affected by this software breach, these are still smart moves to take asap. Given increasing frequency and scope of data breaches, it’s likely just a matter of time before your child is directly at risk.

Conceptual online shopping image. Laptop on carpet with many credit cards scattered nearby
Dylan Gillis

You may think because kids can’t legally access credit in their names, they’re safe from fraud. The opposite is true: Scammers will open credit accounts (e.g., credit cards) using stolen social security numbers, run them up, then ditch them without repayment. But because most parents don’t monitor their children’s credit reports, the fraudulent activity goes unnoticed, tanking a minor’s credit score. That in turn can affect their future ability to secure credit, an apartment, or a job.

Fortunately, locking down credit reports is free and straightforward. To freeze a credit report, you just need to submit a simple form to each of the three major credit bureaus, along with mailed proof of your identity, your relationship to the child, and your child’s identity. This usually equates to government-issued ID for yourself, and then a birth certificate and social security number card for your child.

For children under 16, guardians must fill out and submit the paperwork. Guardians can also do so for children ages 16 or 17, though these older teens can also make the request themselves.

A fourth credit bureau exists—Innovis—though it’s not nearly as frequently used by financial institutions as the three listed above. You can freeze your child’s credit with this bureau as well for thoroughness.

For child credit freezes, you can only lift a freeze by mail. (And a bureau may also request a copy of the proof of identity.) Children can lift freezes on their own when they reach 16 years old.

 

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2580629/powerschool-hackers-have-you