This time it is about a major breach that took place from National Public Data. Hold on to something. 2.9 BILLION people had their personal data stolen. This included Full Names, Addresses, and Social Security Numbers.
I told you to hold on!
It just goes to show that you can be absolutely careful about letting your personal data online as you like, it is out there and now even worse. That breach is the perfect proof of this.
So, that being said, how do they (National Public Data) get all of your PII (personal identifiable information)? By something called scraping. It is used by companies to get data off of websites. What is a concern is that the firm was able to get this personal data from NON-PUBLIC websites.
Unfortunately, with that information, names, addresses, and SSNs, hackers can do tons of horrible things with it. This is even more the case since the information was up for sale on the dark web!
Most companies will turn around and offer ID Theft Monitoring. However, be careful. Now that your information is out there, there is a good chance that hackers will trick you in to a hack with an email advertising just that! Generally the company will send out a physical letter, so look for that.
Things you can do now if you were amongst any of the breached:
- Freeze your credit reports! Make it a point to contact each of the credit bureaus and have them freeze your reports. This will make it difficult for someone to open accounts in your name.
- Get ID Theft Monitoring service. We happen to sell some, so get in touch with us.
- Continue to monitor your accounts.
When it comes to freezing your credit reports and monitoring your accounts, it is a great idea to do this anyway. That way, no one can pull credit on you without a “thaw” of your account.
If you need help in doing some of this, feel free to contact us, and we will meet with and walk you through it.
As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.