The massive data breach at National Public Data, a background check company, has sent shockwaves across the United States. A threat actor known as “USDoD” claimed to have leaked the personal information of nearly every American, including their social security numbers. But is the danger as bad as it seems?
The leaked information was initially put up for sale on the dark web for $3.5 million in April. It contained 2.9 billion rows of data, including full names, home addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it contains the information of 2.9 billion people.
Canadians, in particular, are not affected, as they do not have social security numbers. Instead, they have social insurance numbers. Similarly, people in the UK have national insurance numbers.
The news of the breach only gained widespread attention when a man from California filed a class-action lawsuit against National Public Data on August 1, and a threat actor known as “Fenice” posted the entire stolen database online for free on August 6.
Cybersecurity experts have analyzed the leaked data and raised questions about its legitimacy. While some of the information appears to be correct, there is also a lot of duplicated, incomplete, and incorrect data. James E. Lee, the chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center, believes that the data may not be new and may have been compiled from publicly available sources or previous data breaches.
Lee urges everyone concerned about their personal data or identity theft to freeze their credit and not use the same password for every online account. He also encourages people to use password managers and to be vigilant for scams.
David Bradbury, the chief security officer of Okta, a major company specializing in secure sign-ons and online authentication, warns Canadians to be “hyper-vigilant” in the wake of the breach. He notes that hackers and scammers can quickly and easily access lists of information about individuals and create compelling and interesting emails that are tailored towards them.
To protect themselves, people should be cautious of phishing attacks and avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing sensitive information to unknown sources.
FAQs:
Q: How did the breach occur?
A: The breach occurred when a threat actor known as “USDoD” gained unauthorized access to National Public Data’s database.
Q: What kind of information was leaked?
A: The leaked information included full names, home addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers.
Q: Are Canadians affected by the breach?
A: No, Canadians are not affected by the breach, as they do not have social security numbers. Instead, they have social insurance numbers.
Q: What should people do to protect themselves?
A: People should freeze their credit, use password managers, and be vigilant for scams. They should also be cautious of phishing attacks and avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing sensitive information to unknown sources.
Conclusion:
The massive data breach at National Public Data is a sobering reminder of the importance of protecting our personal information. While the breach may not be as severe as initially thought, it is still important to take steps to protect ourselves from potential scams and identity theft. By being vigilant and taking proactive measures, we can reduce the risk of falling victim to these types of attacks.