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After a government data breach, treat unexpected emails asking you to click, open an attachment, verify an account, share personal information, or act urgently as suspicious. A message can include accurate personal details and still be a scam. Don’t use its links or phone numbers to check it: visit the agency’s official website by typing its address yourself, or contact it through details you find independently.
What makes a breach-related phishing email suspicious?
Phishing messages impersonate a government agency or another familiar organization to get you to reveal information, send money, or open a harmful link or attachment. A breach can give scammers details that make a message feel personal and convincing. CISA’s September 2017 warning about scams related to the Equifax breach described this risk; it does not establish how often phishing increases after breaches. Read CISA’s Equifax breach alert.
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- A request for sensitive information: Be wary if an email asks for a password, Social Security number, account number, payment, or identity verification through a link.
- Pressure or threats: Unexpected deadlines, warnings that an account will be closed, or claims that you must act immediately are reasons to pause. So are unexpected refunds or benefits that seem too good to be true.
- A link or attachment you weren’t expecting: Don’t click or open it just to find out where it goes. Navigate to the agency’s site independently instead.
- A familiar name or personal details: A display name, agency logo, or correct detail about you does not prove the sender is legitimate. Check the actual sender address, but don’t treat an address that looks plausible as proof either.
CISA’s phishing tip card advises: “When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email and online posts are often the way cybercriminals compromise your computer.” See CISA’s phishing tip card.
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- Pause. While you’re unsure, don’t reply, click, download an attachment, or provide information.
- Find the agency’s contact details independently. Type its known web address into your browser, or find a phone number or contact channel on its official site. Don’t use the email’s link or phone number.
- Ask through that separate channel. If the email claims to be from someone you know, check with them using contact details you already trust. CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month Public Toolkit also advises checking with a known sender through a separate channel where appropriate.
- Report it through the right route. For a work email or device, follow your employer’s established IT or security reporting process. For other messages, use the reporting instructions provided by the relevant agency or email service.
What to do if you already clicked or shared information
Choose the response that matches what happened; don’t use contact details from the suspicious message to try to fix it.
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If you entered a password
Go directly to the real service’s website and change the password there. Review the service’s account-security guidance and check for activity you don’t recognize.
If you shared personal information and suspect identity theft
Use the Federal Trade Commission’s official identity-theft reporting and recovery resources at IdentityTheft.gov. CISA’s Equifax breach alert also directs people dealing with identity theft to the FTC’s resources.
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If it involved a work account or device
Report it promptly through your employer’s established IT or security process so the organization can advise you on its response.
Protecting accounts is a separate layer
CISA recommends phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA) for systems and accounts, including hardware-based authentication and FIDO as examples. A compatible security key can help protect supported sign-ins, but it cannot tell you whether a particular email is genuine. Check whether the service and your devices support a key before choosing or setting one up. Read CISA’s hardening guidance.
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CISA’s Four Cybersecurity Essentials for SLTTs, published August 29, 2025, is guidance for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; it is not a breach-specific phishing rate or a measure of how likely an individual is to receive a scam.
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