By Carlos Moreno, Senior Coordinator of EMPath’s Mobility Mentoring Center

Capital One announced on Monday, July 29 that a data breach had exposed the personal information of 106 million of its credit card customers and credit card applicants. 100 million people in the U.S. and 6 million in Canada were affected. Here are some things you should know, as well as what you can do to make sure your information is safe.

What is a data breach?

A data breach is a confirmed incident in which personal information (social security number, date of birth, etc.) has been accessed and/or disclosed in an unauthorized fashion.

What information was compromised?

For Capital One credit card holders, the stolen information includes credit scores, credit limit, balances, payment history, contact information and some transaction data. The company says the hacker also stole about 140,000 social security numbers and 80,000 linked bank account numbers.

What is being done?

Capital One has posted information about the breach. The company says it will notify people affected and offer free credit monitoring and identity protection services. Those affected will be contacted by phone, email, and/or snail mail. NOTE: Neither a bank nor the government will contact you to ask for credit card information, account information, or your social security number.

How can you protect yourself?

1. Breathe.

2. Monitor your checking and savings accounts regularly. If you notice any suspicious activity, contact the financial institution immediately.

3. Monitor billing and financial statements. Be sure to check both big and small purchases, as small purchases could be someone seeing what they can get away with.

4. Change passwords for any online accounts you might have (especially Capital One and any accounts linked to Capital One).

5. Check your credit report. I recommend pulling one report every four months (each of the three major credit reporting companies allows you to get a free report once a year, meaning you can get one free report every four months).

6. Add a security freeze (it’s free). Click here for a quick read on security freeze. You’ll have to request a freeze with each of the three credit reporting companies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.