National Public Data Breach Leaks Social Security Numbers
On August 6th a hacker leaked files they claim are the full National Public Data database. The NPD database, among other things, contains social security numbers of American citizens. The leaked files contain close to 2.7 billion records which include information such as:
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- Address
- Date of Birth
- Full name
- Phone number
- Social Security Number
Although National Public Data has not formally notified the public about the breach, they are aware of the hacker’s claim and are investigating. Several cybersecurity focused news outlets looked through the data and say it appears authentic.
This is the kind of information one could use to commit identity theft. Using this information, a bad actor can pose as you to open an account, take out a loan, or sign up for a credit card. How do you protect yourself?
The Best Protection Is To Freeze Your Credit or Setup an Alert
According to the Federal Trade Commission, credit freezes and fraud alerts can reduce your risk of identity theft. If you suspect your personal information has been leaked a credit freeze or fraud alert can help. A credit freeze is a free service provided by credit bureaus under federal law. It limits access to your credit report, won’t affect your credit scores, and prevents credit fraud by denying credit applications access to your credit report. A fraud alert has businesses check with you before opening any new accounts in your name, but does not limit access to your credit report.
How would you set a fraud alert or freeze your credit?
It’s as simple as reaching out to the credit bureaus and asking to freeze your credit. The FTC has a fantastic article about credit freezes and alerts with contact info for the big three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The freeze must be set up at each bureau individually. After the freeze is in place you can call the bureaus to request temporary thaws. Fraud alerts remain in place for one year and can be freely renewed.
As always, NGT is here to help!
Contact ngthelp.com with questions.