ROCHESTER, N.Y. – In a massive data breach, hackers have reportedly gained access to the personal information of every single American, including names, former addresses, names of relatives, and Social Security numbers. The stolen information dates back at least three decades.

“I’m always worried that I’m going to get hacked,” said Shalimar Santiago of Rochester.

Cyber security experts say the hackers claim to have stolen 2.9 billion records from a background check company in Florida and are posting the information on the dark web.

“There’s always something going on, so I’m not really surprised, but of course I’m going to be concerned about what’s really going on,” said Emonie Knorr of Rochester.

Paul Robinson, founder of the cyber security firm Tempus Network, says the breach should give everyone pause.

“It’s really interesting. As I’ve been listening to people talk about it, it’s either ‘Hakuna Matata’ or it’s, ‘The world is falling apart,'” Robinson said. “Really what I think it should do for all of us is [give] us pause to know that foundationally, our personal information is important, it’s valuable, and if it falls in the wrong hands, it could be detrimental to our lives.”

While people may get angry at companies for not keeping their information safe, Robinson says individuals also have a responsibility to protect themselves. “We have to start taking personal accountability for things that we are doing online, information that we’re sharing, money that we’re transacting, and keeping an eye on it.”

So what should everyone be doing right now?

• If you don’t need a loan in the foreseeable future, freeze your credit file with the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
• Keep a close eye on all your accounts to look for suspicious activity.
• Change your passwords to any online accounts and strengthen them by adding numbers and symbols.
• Make sure the apps and sites you’re using have two-factor authentication when you log in.
• If you do become the victim of identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission and your local police right away.

“Just be very skeptical of living in the most dangerous world ever, which is the internet,” Robinson says. “This is now a call to action to proactively check your credit reports, check your standings with accounts, and things of that nature because we just go on with our day and you go to get a car loan and you’re like, yeah, my credit score is 230 because you’ve purchased a whole bunch of things you’ve never paid for when it wasn’t you at all. That’s the unfortunate piece.”

Here are some resources to protect yourself:

View a copy of your current credit reports

Step-by-step instructions on how to freeze your credit file

To report identity theft and get a recovery plan