North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is urging residents to take steps to protect their personal information following a recent Canvas data breach that impacted an estimated 275 million students, parents, and school staff nationwide.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, there is currently no indication that highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers or financial account details was compromised. However, officials say consumers should still take precautions to secure their accounts and monitor for fraud.

“Data breaches can put your personal information in the hands of criminals,” Jackson said. “Stay alert, secure your accounts, and watch for any signs of fraud or identity theft.”

The North Carolina Department of Justice reported that a record 2,349 data breaches affected more than 9 million North Carolinians last year.

Officials recommend several steps to help protect personal information, including signing up for free credit monitoring if offered after a breach notification, regularly checking credit reports through Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and enabling multi-factor authentication on important accounts such as banking, email, and social media.

Consumers are also encouraged to avoid reusing passwords across multiple accounts and to consider freezing their credit to help prevent identity thieves from opening fraudulent accounts or loans.

Anyone who believes they may be the victim of identity theft can contact the Consumer Protection Division through the  North Carolina Department of Justice website or by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.