Recently, hackers have accessed sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, current and old addresses, and family information of billions of people. This has put them at a high risk of identity theft and financial fraud. This data breach might give access to such details and might lead to hackers opening accounts or taking out loans in someone else’s name.
Christopher Hofmann, a resident of California, first filed this lawsuit. His identity theft protection service notified him that his personal data had been found on the dark web, which was allegedly part of a data breach linked to the website “nationalpublicdata.com.” Bloomberg Law was the first to report the lawsuit.
What happened in the Data Breach?
The data breach happened back in April 2024. Apparently, a hacker group by the name of USDoD stole unencrypted personal data from National Public Data (NPD), a company that offers background checks.
Later, a tech news site, Bleeping Counter, reported that a hacker released a version of the stolen NPD data for free on a hacker forum. The records stolen contain 2.9 billion records of Americans, including their name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and phone number.
NPD has not made a comment on this.
What is National Public Data (NPD)?
If you want to get background checks on their employers, investigators, and businesses, National Public Data (NPD) is a company based in Florida that does that.
They collect data from several criminal records, Social Security number traces, and more to do the same. Further, their services aid businesses verify someone’s background before hiring or working with them.
How many data breaches happened?
The database called “National Public Data” was posted by the hacker group USDoD on the dark web on exactly four days after it was stolen, on April 8, 2024. At first, the group asked for $3.5 million to sell the data. But the stolen files were leaked afterward for free on a hacker forum, which made the info accessible to anyone with no good intentions.
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Was anyone notified about the data breach?
Still, it is unclear if NPD informed those who were affected by this social security breach. Hofmann’s lawsuit claims that the company has not yet given any warnings or notices to him or others. Many people have no clue as to what had happened, which has put them at a greater risk of identity theft and other harm.
McAfee noted that it has not found any records of National Public Data filing reports with state attorney generals. As there are many states where you have to notify the attorney general’s office.
How to protect your information from data breach?
If you have been a victim of a data breach in America or generally, it is crucial to keep a few things in mind. Here are some basics:
- Keep a check on your records
Take time to keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements for any suspicious activity.
- Set up fraud alerts
Second, it is very important to make your credit bureaus aware if you think your data is being used by someone else.
- Freeze your credit
Doing this can prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.
- Change your passwords regularly
It is crucial to update passwords of important accounts from time to time, if they are similar to that in the breached data.
This data breach in America that has happened could have serious implications for billions of people. If you are among the affected ones, you must take quick action to secure your personal info. As for the National Public Data (NPD), they are yet to respond to the allegations being made. Also, the scope of damage is still unclear. Meanwhile, you must stay informed and do everything in your power to protect yourself from potential threats.
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