A recent data breach has brought to light a massive database containing over 2.7 billion records, reportedly stolen from National Public Data (NPD) and leaked on a criminal forum. The compromised data includes sensitive information such as names, mailing addresses, and Social Security numbers of individuals in the U.S. This breach is of significant concern as it potentially impacts a vast number of people across the country.
The stolen database, which was made available for free download on the criminal forum Breachforums, was credited to a hacker named 'SXUL,' indicating a new player in the cybercrime arena. Typically, such databases are sold for substantial sums, making this incident particularly noteworthy.
NPD, the source of the breached data, collects information from public sources to create individual user profiles that are then sold to various organizations, including background check websites, investigators, app developers, and data resellers. While the database contains 2.7 billion records, it is important to note that not all records correspond to unique individuals, with many being repetitive or inaccurate.
This is not the first instance of NPD data appearing on criminal forums, as a similar incident occurred in April involving personal data from individuals in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. NPD, owned by Jerico Pictures, is currently facing legal action, with a lawsuit filed by a California resident alleging negligence and breach of fiduciary duties.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit is seeking various remedies, including the deletion of collected personal information, implementation of data encryption measures, regular database scans, a threat management program, and third-party cybersecurity audits for the next decade. The breach was discovered by a California resident through their identity theft protection service, underscoring the importance of such services in detecting and responding to data breaches.
Data breaches are a prevalent threat in today's digital landscape, and individuals are encouraged to take proactive steps to safeguard their personal information. Identity theft protection services can play a crucial role in alerting individuals to potential breaches and mitigating the associated risks.
