Find out whether or not your Social Security Number was stolen on the National Public Data breach!
Recently there’s been a major data breach and many people might have had their personal informations, such as Social Security Number, stolen. National Public Data, owned by Jerico Pictures Inc., disclosed details of the breach following a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that up to 2.9 billion personal records might have been exposed.
The breach appears to have originated from a third-party hacker in December, with data potentially being leaked in April and throughout the summer. In a data breach notice submitted to Maine, National Public Data stated that around 1.3 million records might have been compromised, according to James E. Lee, COO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit organization that helps prevent identity theft.
The breached data may include sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses, as noted on National Public Data’s website. As cybersecurity experts examine the breached data, they are finding that much of it is either inaccurate or was already publicly accessible. However, it still serves as a crucial reminder to protect your personal information.
Can You Be Affected by This Breach?
National Public Data is a background check company that gathers information from various sources, including scraping data from the internet, according to Lee. This means that data can be collected without your consent and may not be regulated, which may result in potentially outdated or incorrect information.
Some data, like home purchases or property taxes, is public record, as Cliff Steinhauer, Director of Information Security at The National Cybersecurity Alliance, explained. Companies can compile this public data to form a profile on individuals.
“You have varying levels of companies’ ability to protect the data that they’re collecting, and they may not fall under any regulation to do so because it’s like public data to begin with”, Steinhauer said.
How to Check if Your Social Security Number Was Compromised
Certain websites have been set up by cybersecurity groups to help individuals determine if their data was affected by the breach. Sites like NPDBreach.com allow users to search using their full name, zip code, Social Security number, or phone number. Another site, NPD.pentester.com, offers searches based on first and last names, state, and birth year.
However, Lee advises caution: “I certainly don’t recommend anybody enter their Social Security number in the sites“. You might find some information has been shared, by entering your name, but most people are discovering that the leaked data is inaccurate, he noted.
How to Protect Your Personal Information
If you suspect your data was compromised, take the following steps to safeguard your information:
- Freeze Your Credit: this should be your first step. Contact each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to request a credit freeze. This prevents unauthorized access to your credit reports, although you’ll need to unfreeze your credit if you plan to apply for a loan or credit card;
- Be Cautious with Websites: ensure you are on the official websites of the credit bureaus when requesting a credit freeze. Be wary of fake sites that mimic legitimate ones;
- Change Your Passwords: update your passwords, especially if you use the same password across multiple sites. Enable multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security;
- Avoid Sharing Personal Information on Public Networks: never share sensitive information while connected to public internet networks.
Is It Worth Paying for Extra Protection?
In addition to freezing your credit, you can opt for paid services for added security. For example, some companies, like National Public Data, allow you to opt out of their data collections. However, given the number of data brokers, this can be a time-consuming process. A data broker removal service can help by contacting these companies on your behalf.
Moreover, identity theft monitoring services can alert you if someone tries to use your personal information to open an account. Dark web monitoring services can notify you if your information appears in data breaches published on the dark web.
Are You Entitled to Compensation If You Were Affected?
While some legal firms may suggest that you could receive compensation if affected by the breach, the actual payouts are often minimal. “You’re not going to get a lot of money”, Lee said. For example, following the 2017 Equifax breach, some consumers received less than $3, while others got around $40.
The main aim of these legal actions is to form a large, multi-state class action lawsuit. However, proving actual harm caused by this specific breach can be challenging due to the sheer number of data breaches that have occurred, Lee noted. Connecting a specific piece of compromised data to this incident is often difficult.