Data Breach

National Public Data Data Breach

2900.0M records exposed • April 2024

A background check company got hacked and lost 2.9 billion records. Almost every American's Social Security number was exposed in one of the biggest breaches ever.

What Happened

A hacker stole nearly 3 billion records from National Public Data, a background check company. The data included Social Security numbers for most Americans.

Attack method: Database exfiltration

What Data Was Exposed

Names, Social Security numbers, Addresses, Phone numbers, Email addresses

Is your business exposed?

What to Do If You're Affected

  1. 1.

    Freeze your credit immediately

  2. 2.

    Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN

  3. 3.

    Sign up for SSA account to prevent fraud

  4. 4.

    Monitor all financial accounts closely

Lessons for Businesses

  • Data brokers collect massive amounts of sensitive data
  • Social Security numbers need better protection
  • Background check companies are high-value targets

Sources

Related Breaches

Exactis 2018

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