Introduction
In a plot twist worthy of a dramatic thriller, NationalPublicData.com, a consumer data broker based in Florida, has faced a colossal data breach that could be even juicier than initially thought. The breach, which the company reluctantly admitted on August 12, 2024, has revealed sensitive info belonging to millions of unsuspecting Americans.
So, who exactly is the mysterious National Public Data center? Also known as NationalPublicData.com (because why complicate things?), this data broker collects and sells information sourced from public records. Think criminal records, addresses, and employment history—essentially, the stuff people use to make sure you’re not a runaway felon before giving you a job.
Sound invasive? You’re not wrong! But it’s less of an invasion and more of a “let’s check the backyard before inviting you to the BBQ.” Businesses, employers, private investigators, and even government officials utilize this treasure trove of information to conduct background checks, thwart fraud, screen applicants, and even investigate legal conundrums.
Just imagine the type of data floating around—everything from your Social Security Number to your Netflix password (okay, maybe not that last one). If someone’s digging for info on you, you can bet your bottom dollar NationalPublicData.com is where they’ll go.
What Caused the Breach?
National Public Data recently revealed that the breach involved a third-party bad actor who decided to Duke it out with their data security in late December 2023, with potential leaks sprouting up like weeds in April and summer 2024.
The company has been playing nice with law enforcement (who wouldn’t want to be buddies with the cops?) and is now sorting through the chaos to notify everyone who might be affected.
The breach was first discovered in April 2024 when a cybercriminal known as “USDoD” took to Breachforums like it was their personal social media and claimed to have lifted a staggering 4 terabytes of data from NationalPublicData.com. This cache includes a whopping 2.9 billion rows of records featuring names, addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of millions of individuals—yikes! The hacker even had the audacity to try and sell this mountain of data for a cool $3.5 million. Someone’s got big dreams!
This breach extends its troubling arms to a staggering number of people, with 137 million unique email addresses popping up in the leaked data. But hold your horses; not all records containing SSNs were accompanied by email addresses. The leaks also included 70 million rows from a database of U.S. criminal records. So, you know, it’s a real mixed bag!
How Can You Protect Yourself?
If you think your records are among the nearly 3 billion affected by this digital disaster, it’s time to spring into action and safeguard your precious personal information!
First things first, put a security freeze on your credit reports. This isn’t just a clever game; a security freeze, often referred to as a credit freeze, restricts access to your credit report, making it a real struggle for identity thieves to open accounts in your name. Reach out to each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to lock it down. It’s free and can be done online, by phone, or even by sending a carrier pigeon (well, maybe not that last one). Remember, if you need to apply for credit, you can briefly lift the freeze while keeping your identity safe like a precious gem
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