If you're among the 4.4 million Americans whose personal information was exposed in the recent TransUnion data breach, you're likely feeling a mix of frustration and uncertainty. This breach, part of a wider series of Salesforce attacks, didn't affect your credit reports, but it did compromise other sensitive data. Understanding what was leaked and taking immediate steps to protect yourself is crucial. In this guide, we'll walk you through the specifics of the breach and how to safeguard your identity in its aftermath.
What Data Points Were Leaked?
The TransUnion data breach didn’t touch your credit reports, but it did hit where it hurts—your personal details. Hackers accessed sensitive records belonging to about 4.4 million Americans. While “credit report” might sound like the bullseye, the reality is that other information can be just as dangerous in the wrong hands.
Exposed Personal Information
Here’s what was compromised:
Full names: Your legal name, as it appears in official documents.
Billing addresses: Where you get your statements, and often, packages or sensitive mail.
Phone numbers: Both mobile and landline, which can be used for phishing attempts or identity verification scams.
Email addresses: The gateway to your online identity, vulnerable to spam, phishing, and hacking.
Dates of birth: Often used as a key identifier in account recovery or verification processes.
Social Security Numbers (SSNs): The golden ticket for identity thieves, opening doors to financial fraud, tax scams, and more.
What Wasn’t Leaked
Credit report data: Details like your credit score, account balances, and payment history were not exposed in this breach. That’s a small relief, but not a green light to relax.
The loss of these data points—especially when combined—makes it easier for criminals to impersonate you, apply for loans, or commit fraud in your name. Many people assume that as long as their credit report is safe, so is their identity. That’s simply not true. Even just your name, address, and SSN can be enough for a criminal to wreak havoc.
If you’re wondering how this happened, the breach is linked to a broader campaign targeting Salesforce systems. Attackers exploited vulnerabilities, going after companies that use Salesforce to store customer details—including TransUnion.
The breach isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about the real risk to your privacy and security.
Should You Be Worried?
Why the Data Breach Matters
When news of a data breach like the TransUnion or Salesforce attack breaks, it’s easy to brush it off—especially if you think, “I’m not a big spender, or my credit report isn’t involved, so why worry?” That’s a risky mindset. Any personal data in the wrong hands can be weaponized. Whether it’s your email, phone number, address, or date of birth, criminals don’t need your whole identity to make life difficult.
How Stolen Data Gets Used
Phishing and Social Engineering: Attackers use basic details to craft convincing emails, texts, or calls. They’ll pose as your bank, a coworker, or even a family member to trick you into sharing more sensitive information or clicking on malicious links.
Account Takeover: With just an email and some creative guessing, hackers can reset passwords and access everything from your online shopping to your social media.
Synthetic Identity Theft: Criminals combine stolen fragments of information from various sources to create entirely new fake identities. These identities can be used to open bank accounts, rack up debt, or commit other types of fraud.
Real-World Consequences
It’s not just theory—people have suffered real losses. After previous large-scale breaches, victims have reported:
Credit cards opened in their names
Medical bills for treatments they never received
Debt collectors chasing them for loans they never took
The stress, time, and money spent untangling this mess is significant.
Even Non-Credit Data Is Dangerous
A lot of folks think if it’s not a Social Security number or credit card, it’s harmless. That’s a myth. Non-credit data—like your email, phone number, or even your mother’s maiden name—can be the missing puzzle piece a fraudster needs.
Here’s why:
Many companies still use “personal questions” for identity verification. If that info is out there, it’s an open door.
Spam and scam calls ramp up when your contact details leak.
Details like employment history or addresses can be used to bypass security checks elsewhere.
Protecting Yourself
Given the risks, it’s smart to take action. Services like Cloaked let you create disposable emails, phone numbers for use online. That means if one of your aliases gets caught in a breach, your real info stays safe. It’s a proactive step for anyone who’s tired of feeling exposed every time a big company lets their guard down.
Stay alert. Even if you think your data “isn’t that valuable,” it only takes a small leak for things to spiral.
What Should Be Your Next Steps?
Taking the right steps immediately after a data breach can make all the difference in limiting the damage. Here’s a straightforward action plan to help you protect yourself and your information:
1. Monitor Your Credit Reports
Check your credit reports from all three major bureaus—TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Look for any activity you don’t recognize. New accounts or credit inquiries you didn’t initiate are red flags. You’re entitled to a free report from each bureau every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Set a calendar reminder to review your reports regularly, not just after a breach.
Dispute errors right away. Even small discrepancies can signal bigger issues.
2. Set Up Fraud Alerts
Contact one of the credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your file. This tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit in your name. The alert will last for one year and can be renewed.
Extended alerts are available for confirmed victims of identity theft and last up to seven years.
Credit freezes are another option. They lock your credit file until you lift the freeze, blocking most new credit requests.
3. Use Identity Theft Protection Services
TransUnion and other credit bureaus offer identity theft protection services. These services typically monitor your credit, alert you to suspicious activity, and may assist with recovery if your identity is misused. Evaluate the features and costs before signing up.
Monitoring services keep an eye out for new accounts or changes to your credit.
Restoration services can guide you through the process if your information is used fraudulently.
4. Leverage Enhanced Privacy Tools
Privacy-focused solutions like Cloaked provide additional layers of protection. If you’re worried about your personal data being exposed, consider:
Masked emails and phone numbers: Cloaked lets you create disposable contact details to keep your real information private.
Automatic data monitoring: Get alerts if your data appears in known breaches.
Simple identity management: Manage what information you share, and with whom, from a single dashboard.
These tools can reduce your digital footprint and make it harder for bad actors to piece together your identity.
5. Stay Alert for Social Engineering
After a breach, scams and phishing attempts often spike. Attackers may use leaked data to sound convincing.
Be suspicious of unexpected calls, texts, or emails asking for personal information.
Verify with official sources before responding to requests or clicking on links.
Quick Checklist
[ ] Check credit reports for suspicious activity
[ ] Set up fraud alerts or credit freezes
[ ] Consider identity theft protection from TransUnion
[ ] Use privacy tools like Cloaked to mask personal data
[ ] Watch for phishing and scams
Staying proactive is critical. Your personal information is valuable—treat it with care, and you’ll limit the fallout from any breach.
Cloaked FAQs Accordion
Frequently Asked Questions
First, change your passwords—especially if you've reused them across sites. Then enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all key accounts. Review your account and credit activity regularly for any unusual behavior. If suspicious actions surface, consider freezing your credit and alerting your bank. To proactively reduce exposure in the future, tools like Cloaked can mask your personal information before breaches happen.
Cloaked provides you with disposable emails, phone numbers, and payment details, making it harder for bad actors to access your real identity. These tools help you safely sign up for services, communicate, and shop online without putting your core identity at risk.
Commonly targeted data includes full names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, physical addresses, login credentials, and payment info. Tools like Cloaked help shield this information by providing secure, masked alternatives.
Always be skeptical. Malicious links are one of the most common ways hackers infect devices or steal data. Avoid clicking unless you can verify the source. Services like Cloaked can add layers of security so your real contact info isn’t exposed even if you make a mistake.
Using the same contact info across platforms makes it easy for attackers to build a full profile of you. If one platform gets breached, all your accounts can be at risk. That’s why Cloaked allows you to use different, secure contact methods for each service.
At Cloaked, we believe the best way to protect your personal information is to keep it private before it ever gets out. That’s why we help you remove your data from people-search sites that expose your home address, phone number, SSN, and other personal details. And to keep your info private going forward, Cloaked lets you create unique, secure emails and phone numbers with one click - so you sign up for new experiences without giving away your real info. With Cloaked, your privacy isn’t a setting - it’s the default. Take back control of your personal data with thousands of Cloaked users.
*Disclaimer: You agree not to use any aspect of the Cloaked Services for FCRA purposes.
