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‘Was my Social Security number stolen?’ Answers to common questions on the National Public Data breach
You may have never heard of National Public Data, yet your personal information may have been compromised in the company’s recent massive data breach.
The background check company, which is owned by Jerico Pictures Inc., recently released details of the breach after a proposed class action lawsuit alleged 2.9 billion personal records may have been exposed. Other reports suggest the amount of records leaked may have been more than 2.7 billion.
In an official data breach notice filed in Maine, National Public Data indicated 1.3 million records may have been breached, said James E. Lee, chief operating officer at Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit organization focused on mitigating risks of identity breaches and theft.
“It is entirely possible that it is that low; it’s also entirely possible it’s higher,” Lee said of the number of people affected.
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The information breached may have included Social Security numbers, names, email addresses, phone numbers and mailing addresses, National Public Data states on its website.
A third-party bad actor may have hacked into the data in December, with potential leaks of the information in April and over this summer, the company said on its website. National Public Data did not return a request for comment by press time.
As cyber professionals dig into the breached data, they’re finding that not all of it is accurate and much of the information was already available. “The reality is there’s nothing new in this data,” Lee said.
Still, experts say news of the breach is a great reminder to take steps to protect your personal information. Here’s a roundup of answers to common consumers are asking now.
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