Did you know that there were more than 1,800 data breaches in the first six months of 2026 alone?
More than 471 million victim notices were issued between January and June, according to a recent report from the Identity Theft Resource Center. That is well above the 297.5 million that were issued in all of 2025.
The growing sophistication of artificial intelligence is helping thieves gain access to information at companies of all sizes.
We cite this data not to scare you, but to encourage you to take action.
Not every breach notice leads to fraud, but the volume and rise of AI-assisted attacks raise the baseline risk.
This is why money expert Clark Howard has been advising listeners to freeze their credit for years.
With cyberattacks increasingly a fact of life in 2026 and beyond, being proactive in protecting your credit is more important than ever.
In this article, I’ll walk you through actionable steps you can take to protect yourself.
How To Protect Yourself from the Impact of Data Breaches
So, we know that data breaches are up significantly in 2026. But what can you do about it?
You don’t have control over how your data is handled by companies that already have it, but there are actions you can take that will build a much stronger defense for your credit and finances if your data gets compromised in a breach.
1. Freeze Your Credit with Each Bureau
Requesting a credit freeze with each of the big three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) is the “Clark approved” first step to protecting yourself.
This is the best way to prevent “new account” fraud, which may result from bad actors using information gained from a breach to pose as you when applying for a line of credit.
The credit freeze process is free and can be completed online, in most cases. Team Clark has a full guide to freezing your credit with each credit bureau.
It’s important to note that a credit freeze will not prevent you from using the credit accounts that you’ve already opened. Instead, it will prevent a new credit account from being opened in your name without your permission.
And then when you’re ready to use your credit to apply for a new loan or credit card, you can simply contact the credit bureaus to request that they “thaw” your credit so that a legitimate credit inquiry can be completed.
Note: A credit freeze is stronger than a credit lock, which is often marketed as similar but is a different process altogether. Understand the differences between the two here.
2. Claim Your Free Credit Report and Regularly Monitor It
Did you know that in addition to the free credit freeze functionality, you also get access to your credit report for free?
Team Clark has instructions on how to get a free credit report.
Once you have access, review it thoroughly to ensure someone hasn’t used your information to open a line of credit you didn’t request. This can have serious long-term consequences if left unchecked, so set a reminder to review it regularly.
While you’re reviewing it, you should also check that your legitimate lines of credit are being recorded and reported properly.
3. Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication for All of Your Accounts
If a data breach exposes your username and password, hackers could try to log in to your account with the credentials they gained.
That’s why it’s important to set up “multi-factor” authentication for your accounts whenever possible. This requires you to take an “extra step” to prove you are the rightful owner of an account beyond simply entering the username and password.
Oftentimes this will include receiving a verification code via text message, phone call or email. But it can also be done via click-through verification on an app stored on your device.
These don’t completely eliminate your concern, especially if you’ve lost control of your email or phone, but they do add an extra layer of security that can buy you some time to take action if a bad actor gains your login credentials.
4. Use Unique Passwords for All of Your Accounts and Change Them Often
Speaking of log-in credentials, now is a good time to do a checkup to ensure you’re protecting yourself by observing good password practices.
When it comes to the increased occurrences of data breaches, one of the worst things you can do is use the same password to log in to multiple financial accounts. This gives thieves “the keys” to your accounts at more than just the institution that was hacked.
And with the help of AI, they now have the tools to use those stolen credentials in a widespread way as quickly as ever.
Remembering a laundry list of unique and tough-to-crack passwords can be a real chore. And at times, it borders on an annoyance. I get it. But I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is in protecting your accounts.
One of the easiest ways to ensure you’re creating strong, unique passwords is to enlist the help of a password manager.
Clark says password managers are not perfect (they can be hacked, too, after all), but they are “vastly superior” to using the same low-security passwords over and over again.
5. Consider Using a Passkey When They’re Available
This one might sound confusing or complicated, but it’s actually a pretty simple step that can increase the security of your accounts.
Websites, apps and devices that are supported by passkey technology allow you to use unique identifiers, such as biometrics, to verify you are who you say you are in place of a traditional username and password.
In the simplest terms: Passkeys help protect your traditional password by … making them unnecessary.
Team Clark’s Dallas Cox has a full passkey guide to help you understand what they are, how they work, Clark’s opinion on them, and how to set one up.
Have you had a recent experience with a data breach? Did you freeze your credit? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the Clark.com community.
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