How to freeze your credit with all three credit burows and why you might want to do so.

Two major Texas data breaches this year exposed millions of records. Here's the free, ten-minute fix at all three credit bureaus.

July 27, 2026 by

Robert Richardson

A person reviewing a financial document at home — Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

This year alone, more than 29,000 Texans had their names, Social Security numbers, and medical records exposed in the Texas Hearing Institute breach, and a separate breach at a state hunting and fishing license vendor exposed driver's license and passport numbers for over 3 million Texans. If your information was part of either one, or you simply want to stop worrying about it, there is a free tool that locks the door: a credit freeze.

A credit freeze is free, it is required by federal law to be free, and it does not affect your credit score at all. It just takes a little patience, because you have to do it at all three credit bureaus separately. Here is exactly how.

🔍 What a Credit Freeze Actually Does

A credit freeze blocks lenders and credit card companies from pulling your credit report. Since almost nobody can open a new loan, credit card, or account in your name without a lender checking your credit first, a freeze stops identity thieves cold, even if they already have your Social Security number.

💡 Key Point: A freeze is different from "credit monitoring" or "credit lock" products the bureaus try to sell you. Those are paid subscriptions. A freeze is the free, government-backed version, and it works just as well.

🔍 How to Freeze Your Credit, Step by Step

Visit Each Bureau's Website

Go to Equifax.com, Experian.com, and TransUnion.com one at a time. Each one is a separate company with its own freeze.

Create a Free Account

Each site will ask you to verify your identity with basic information. This is normal and required to make sure only you can freeze your own file.

Look for "Security Freeze"

Not "credit lock," not "credit monitoring." The free option is specifically labeled a security freeze. Select it and confirm.

Save Your PIN or Password

Each bureau gives you a PIN to lift the freeze later, for example when you apply for a real loan. Write it down somewhere safe. Losing it just means a longer identity check to unfreeze.

Infographic on avoiding paid credit freeze upsells

📞 Contact Each Bureau Directly

Bureau	Phone	Mail
Equifax	(888) 298-0045	Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348
Experian	(888) 397-3742	Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion	(888) 909-8872	TransUnion LLC, Fraud Victim Assistance, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Phone and mail both work if you would rather skip the websites, though online is fastest, usually under 10 minutes per bureau.

🚨 Important: Experian in particular tends to push a paid product called CreditWorks Premium during the freeze process. You do not need to buy anything. The free security freeze does everything you need. If a page tries to steer you toward a monthly subscription, look for a smaller "no thanks" or "continue with freeze" link instead.

Step by step guide to freezing your credit infographic

🔍 Common Questions

Does freezing my credit hurt my score?

No. A freeze has zero effect on your credit score. You can still use your existing credit cards and pay your bills exactly as before. It only blocks new accounts from being opened.

Does it expire?

No. Once you freeze your credit, it stays frozen until you personally lift it, using the PIN or password you set up.

What if I need to apply for a loan or credit card later?

Just log back in to that bureau's website, or call, and lift the freeze temporarily or permanently. It usually takes effect within minutes online.

✅ Key Point: You do not need to have been part of a breach to freeze your credit. Given how often these breaches are happening lately, it is a reasonable thing for almost anyone to do once, and then forget about.

Texas data breach security guide infographic

If you would rather have someone sit with you and do this in person, or you are not sure whether your information was in one of these breaches, I am happy to walk through it with you. We covered a similar step-by-step in how to keep your computer safe for another year, and why I don't use paid virus protection, if you want more ways to lock things down.

📞 Want Help Freezing Your Credit? I Come to You.

We can sit down together, freeze all three bureaus, and write down your PINs somewhere safe.

✔
No jargon, no judgment. Patient help that actually makes sense to you.
✔
Flat-rate pricing, no surprises. I come to you anywhere in Tyler.
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Same-day and next-day appointments available.

📞 Call or Text Robert: (210) 550-6884

God Bless.

Robert
Owner, TechEase
"No jargon, no judgment, just patient help that makes sense."
📞 (210) 550-6884) | Transparent Flat-Rate Pricing | We Come to You

📎 Sources

🔗 HIPAA Journal — “Almost 30,000 Texas Residents Affected by Data Breach at The Texas Hearing Institute” (July 2026) 🔗 Cybernews — “Texas vendor breach exposes personal data of more than 3 million people, including ID details” (June 2026) 🔗 Equifax — “Security Freeze” 🔗 Experian — “How to Freeze Your Credit at All 3 Bureaus” 🔗 TransUnion — “Credit Freeze”

Robert Richardson July 27, 2026

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