Hackers Expose 3 Billion Personal Records in Massive Data Breach at National Public Data

Clear Facts

• Hackers have leaked nearly 3 billion personal records stolen from National Public Data in December 2023.
• The breach includes sensitive information such as full names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers.
• National Public Data recommends monitoring financial accounts, obtaining credit reports, and placing fraud alerts or credit freezes to protect against identity theft.

In a significant data breach, hackers have leaked almost 3 billion personal records stolen from National Public Data (NPD) back in December 2023. This alarming incident has exposed sensitive information, including full names, alternate names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers.

“There appears to have been a data security incident that may have involved some of your personal information,” NPD stated earlier this month.

“The incident is believed to have involved a third-party bad actor that was trying to hack into data in late December 2023, with potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024. We conducted an investigation and subsequent information has come to light.”

If you are concerned that your information might have been compromised, here are steps to check and protect yourself moving forward.

First, monitor your accounts for any unusual activity and check your credit report.

“As a first step, we recommend that you closely monitor your financial accounts and if you see any unauthorized activity, you should promptly contact your financial institution,” NPD advises.

“As a second step, you may want to contact the three U.S. credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to obtain a free credit report from each by calling 1.877.322.8228 or by logging onto www.annualcreditreport.com.”

Another critical measure is to place a fraud alert on your credit file.

“It is also recommended that you place a free fraud alert on your credit file,” NPD says.

“A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. Contact any one of the three major credit bureaus. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts. The initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for one year. You can renew it after one year.”

If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, it is essential to contact the authorities immediately.

“Ask each credit bureau to send you a free credit report after it places a fraud alert on your file. Review your credit reports for accounts and inquiries you do not recognize,” NPD advises.

“These can be signs of identity theft. If your personal information has been misused, visit the FTC’s site at IdentityTheft.gov to report the identity theft and get recovery steps.”

Consider placing a free credit freeze for an added layer of security.

“A credit freeze means potential creditors cannot get your credit report,” says NPD.

“That makes it less likely that an identity thief can open new accounts in your name. To place a freeze, contact each of the major credit bureaus at the links or phone numbers above. A freeze remains in place until you ask the credit bureau to temporarily lift it or remove it.”

Experts agree that freezing your credit is more effective than just a fraud alert.

“A fraud alert is more of a heads up to lenders, which they can easily ignore. It doesn’t do much in practice,” says Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of personal finance site WalletHub.

“A freeze, on the other hand, stops fraud in its tracks by preventing identity thieves from opening accounts in your name.”

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