A consumer survey suggests that more than half of Americans still have not checked their credit report since the big Equifax breach, which exposed Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and other personal data of nearly 150 million people. The problem is that a good swath of people affected by the breach are keeping their heads in the sand and are not even checking to see if they have been affected.

Fraudulent tax filings are the visible result

One of the most visible results of the Equifax data breach has been fraudulent tax filings. Scammers are exploiting data from the breach, along with additional information from employment records, to fraudulently file employees tax returns. This scam has impacted tens of thousands of people and has not let up.

All credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus can be obtained for free online at annualcreditreport.com. Keeping your credit report top of mind does require considerable discipline, but if you are not checking in on your report, you might be missing serious red flags. The longer you wait to find them, the longer you are opening the door to bigger problems down the road.

Consider freezing your credit

With a freeze on your credit file in place, even if identity thieves try to open credit in your name, they will not be able to get very far. Before granting lines of credit, every creditor evaluates how risky your account is, and when they see a freeze they will likely reject the application without a second thought.

Keep in mind that credit reports are not a golden ticket to being completely secure and free of fraud, but checking your report regularly gives you a good idea of where you stand. The biggest help credit monitoring gives you is sorting out discrepancies and fraud with the bureaus, especially reconciling fraudulent accounts opened in your name.

Limit your exposure on social media

One of the easiest ways for cyber scammers to glean valuable information is through social media. Without giving it a second thought, many of us over-share online, including the golden tidbits we use to verify our identities. A scammer may easily find your mother maiden name, what city you grew up in, the name of your first pet, your birthdate, and a whole bunch of other treasures by simply scanning your Facebook account. They can also learn your routines, which is valuable for setting up a very targeted phishing scam.

Check bank accounts, and protect the business network

One of the biggest mistakes people make when their identities have been compromised is not actively checking financial accounts. Scammers sit on piles of information waiting for the best time to use it, and one of the easiest quick-cash routes is cracking into bank accounts. Check your accounts at least monthly for unusual logins or suspicious charges, and contact your bank immediately after finding suspicious activity. Also, do not use the same password for everything. Once a hacker cracks one, everything you have is in jeopardy.

Another big oversight is how much sensitive personal information your business actually stores. If your network is not secure, if you have not applied security patches, are not monitoring for suspicious activity, and have no clue where all your sensitive files are, you may be putting your team identities at risk.