A massive data breach has compromised the personal information of billions of individuals across the nation. The breach, which reportedly occurred around April 2024, involved the hacker group known as USDoD infiltrating National Public Data (NPD), a major background check company. The breach has led to the exposure of highly sensitive information, including full names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers.
According to a recent lawsuit, the breach allowed USDoD to access the unencrypted personal data from NPD, affecting a staggering number of people. Earlier this month, a hacker leaked a portion of this stolen data on a hacking forum, as reported by tech site Bleeping Computer. The leaked files are said to contain approximately 2.7 billion records, underscoring the vast scale of this security incident.
One option to determine if an individual’s personal information has been breached is to access NPD Breach Check – Pentester.com, a site created by cybersecurity firm Pentester.
NPD has confirmed that the data breach was perpetrated by a “third-party bad actor” and involved attempts to access data as early as December 2023. The company has acknowledged that the potential leaks of certain data began in April 2024 and may continue into the summer of 2024.
What You Should Do Now
Given the severity of this breach, it is crucial to take immediate steps to safeguard their personal information. Here are key actions to consider:
Monitor Your Financial Accounts: Regularly check your bank statements, credit card statements, and investment accounts for any unauthorized transactions. Report any suspicious activity to your financial institutions immediately.
Place a Fraud Alert: Contact one of the major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion—to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This will make it harder for identity thieves to open accounts in your name.
Consider a Credit Freeze: A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts. Request a freeze from each of the credit bureaus. When applying for new credit, you can quickly unfreeze your credit file, then refreeze it when the credit approval process is complete.
Review Your Credit Reports: Obtain and review your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus. You are entitled to a free report from each bureau annually, which you can obtain through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Be Wary of Phishing Scams: Be cautious of unsolicited emails, calls, or messages requesting personal information. Scammers may use the data breach to target you with phishing attempts.
Update Your Passwords: Change passwords for all online accounts, especially those related to banking and personal information. Use strong, unique passwords for each account.
Stay Informed: Keep up to date with any new information or recommendations from NPD or relevant authorities regarding the breach.
The magnitude of this data breach underscores the importance of remaining vigilant about your personal information. By taking these steps, you can better protect yourself from the potential fallout of this unprecedented data breach.
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