Here’s how to find out in 1 minute if you’re affected by the Equifax hack

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An online tool that uses last name and the last six digits of a Social Security number to determine if information was impacted. It can be found here.

If impacted, individuals will be able to click a link from the results page to file a claim.

Even if information hasn’t been used in a malicious way yet, Shawn Waldman, CEO and founder of Miamisburg-based Secure Cyber Defense, said one of the most important things people can do is file a claim for free credit monitoring.

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“Your Social Security number is your Social Security number. There’s no changing that,” Waldman said. “Don’t let your guard down because that’s what they want you to do.”

The claims process takes only minutes to file if impacted individuals only want the free credit monitoring for 10 years. Supporting documentation is required for those who have paid for credit monitoring since discovering they were impacted in 2017 or spent other time or money on protecting their identities.

The credit reporting is part of an up to $7 million settlement Equifax reached earlier this week. with a coalition of state attorneys general, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.

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