Security Issue at Major Companies: What Families Should Know About Fortinet Breaches

A group of cybercriminals has broken into security systems called firewalls used by major companies around the world. These firewalls are made by a company called Fortinet. The attackers got in by using passwords that were already known from previous security breaches. Tens of thousands of these systems have been compromised. This mainly affects large businesses and organizations that use Fortinet products to protect their networks. If you work for a company or do business with organizations that were affected, your personal information stored by those companies could potentially be at risk. This includes details like your name, contact information, purchase history, or employee records.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Watch your email carefully for messages from companies you do business with about data breaches. Read these notices completely and follow their instructions.
2. Monitor your bank accounts and credit cards for any unusual activity. Report anything suspicious immediately to your bank.
3. If you get any notification that your information was involved, change your password for that company's website or service immediately.
4. Be extra cautious about unexpected emails or phone calls asking for personal information, even if they seem to come from companies you know. For long term protection, use unique passwords for every website and service you use. Consider using a password manager to keep track of them safely. Turn on two factor authentication wherever it is offered. This adds an extra security step that makes it much harder for criminals to access your accounts, even if they have your password.