Where to get advice about a Security Breach

[HackingBack]

Earlier this year my partner had her data stolen from a national company due to poor security on their part. Home addresses, telephone, mobile & work details were all lost.

Since then we are constantly disturbed by nuisance phone calls (probably get 2/3 a day telling us they are our internet service provider and they need to check our details), and my partner is concerned about what may lie ahead.

Can anybody point us in the right direction, regarding legal/security advice on this please, I have searched and spoken to a solicitor, but they weren't really clued up and couldn't even point us in the right direction!

Feels like going round in circles! Anybody have any useful advice, tips or know an expert who can help?

thanks

HB

[wales01man]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

we get daily calls similar to yours and have never had our secure details stolen probably not the reason they call you as for the original breach others on LB will advise

[warwick65]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

I believe my details were hacked when the large hack of talktalk occurred. I had left them but still used a talktalk email address. They used to call up regarding my talktalk router although they have now changed to another ISP

If you are with BT you can use their free 1572 service to block these calls

The best thing I did with regard to spam calls was remove my answer phone service - if someone needs me they have my mobile number. I hardly get any spam

[Crazy council]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

Hi, i would recomend

change your phone number, ( only way to stop them )
scan your computer with an uptodate Av and anti rootkit, ( they may have something on there already )
if you find anythng, ask you ISP to make sure your IP is changed. ( avoide them auto-reinfecting you )

Its the only way to be sure you will stop them if your running win 10, maybe safe, win 7 or less, probebly not , Linux,, safe

[warwick65]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

As CC says different isps make it easier or more difficult to get a new IP. BT for example just needs a reset of the rooter whereas sky needs an overnight switch off.

I use this to check my IP address http://whatismyipaddress.com/

although ip addresses seem to have changed since i last looked and are now rather long

[ostell]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

The people phoning are just going through the phone book, or even just guessing numbers, no need to be alarmed. I took a call once while I was visiting an old lady that was supposedly from Openreach offering compensation for poor speed performance on the internet. According to them OpenReach were responsible for the data of every ISP. Shame that the number they had called was to a Virgin Media customer with a 40Mb download speed. They insisted that OpenReach was still responsible for the slow speed.

It's probably nothing to do with security at all, just pot luck. Answer them and play with them, though don't give out details or download anything. They will then realise that they are not getting anywhere and while you're playing with them they are not scamming someone else that doesn't realise it's a scam.

On a quiet day I've managed 40 minutes of upsetting them. I believe someone has managed 1 1/2 hours. I rarely get those sort of calls now.

To change your IP address, your address on the internet, you just turn off your router for a few minutes and when you turn it on you will get another address that will be dynamically allocated to you. To check the address open a command prompt on the computer and enter IPCONFIG to display.

[HackingBack]

Re: Where to get advice about a Security Breach

Thank you for your replies, I guess it's a hazard of modern life then! We are ex-directory and on the telephone preference service, and to be honest I'd forgotten about the TalkTalk security breach (we were with them!), and quite a few were puporting to be from TalkTalk - should have realised!

I work from home, and would love to have the time to wind them like you do Ostell, that would be fun! - I ask for a number I call them back on now and an address, which usually results in a bit of spluttering and hanging up! Although a couple of cheeky ones have tried threatening at that point!

I have the router firewalled and locked down to mac addresses, so I'm not overly concerned about a breach in that regard, can never be too careful though.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a law firm who are actively specialising in pursuing the companies who have been 'victims' of the hacks, as they are the ones responsible for securing our information, and as I understand it, have a duty of care under the data protection act? Maybe if they are being held to account for poor security they might take it more seriously?

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

HB