BALTIMORE, MD—A hacker group claims to have leaked the Social Security numbers and other personal information of 2.9 billion people from a data broker. The personal data belonged to a variety of people from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The breach was carried out by a group called USDoD, who claim to have hacked into the National Public Data website and discovered the personal details of the 2.9 billion people. USDoD then tried to sell the data on the dark web for $3.5 million.

The data contains the Social Security numbers, names, addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers of the individuals. Some of the data also includes email addresses and bank account information.

The leak of this data is concerning as it could have serious ramifications, including the risk of identity theft, for millions of Americans. If the information is sold on the dark web, it could be used by criminals to create fake identities and apply for credit in people’s names. This could lead to fraud, identity theft, and other crimes.

National Public Data claims that the data breach is real and that they are investigating the incident. The company has also said that it has “purged the entire database, as a whole, of any and all entries, essentially opting everyone out.” This means that it has deleted any “non-public personal information” about people.

However, the company has also stated that it may be required to retain certain records to comply with legal obligations. This means that it is possible that some personal data will remain available in the event of a legal requirement.

If you suspect that your Social Security number or other important identifying information about you has been leaked, experts say you should put a freeze on your credit files at the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You can do so for free, and it will prevent criminals from taking out loans, signing up for credit cards and opening financial accounts under your name. The catch is that you’ll need to remember to lift the freeze temporarily if you are obtaining or applying for something that requires a credit check.

You can also sign up for a service that monitors your accounts and the dark web to guard against identity theft, typically for a fee.

Massive #DataBreach Alert ⚠️

2.9 billion records of USA, Canada, and UK citizens allegedly for sale for $3.5 million.

The threat actor USDoD claims to be selling a 4 TB database containing 2.9 billion rows apparently exfiltrated from National Public Data, a public records data… pic.twitter.com/kgSd3RpoP2

— HackManac (@H4ckManac) April 8, 2024

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Pixabay