Americans are at risk after billions of Social Security numbers were stolen in a widespread company hack.
National Public Data, a company headquartered in Florida, had sensitive data for nearly three billion people stolen by a hacking group, and that information is now for sale on the dark web, The Los Angeles Times reported this week.
Information including full names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers and even Social Security numbers are now likely for sale.
The hacking group, which is called USDoD, said it stole the records of 2.9 billion people from National Public Data, which provides personal information to companies and private investigators doing background checks.
The data breach is said to have occurred in April, with USDoD allegedly selling the information for $3.5 million.
Newsweek reached out to National Public Data for comment via email.
What to Know
If your Social Security information is stolen, you're at risk of identity theft. In some cases, people have been able to access bank accounts that do not belong to them by using an individual's Social Security number and email address.
"What we've seen thus far in 2024 is that identity crime will continue to hit record highs, targeting both businesses and consumers," said Blair Cohen, AuthenticID Founder & President in a recent report. "With the proliferation of new, generative AI-powered tools for fraudsters, businesses and consumers alike face a significant challenge in the form of breaches and business attacks."
Although there's currently no way to tell if your number specifically was stolen, for Americans concerned about their Social Security number being stolen, there are many steps you can take to mitigate your risk.
For one, you can freeze your credit files at all the major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. This will stop criminals from taking out loans in your name or signing up for credit cards with your identity.
There are also identity theft protection services that will alert you if your data is breached in a hack, and many are of no cost to you.
Some of the most reputable services are Identity Guard and LifeLock.
"For those affected, staying vigilant is important. Watch for unexpected communications, monitor your credit report, consider fraud alerts and update passwords," Joseph Harisson, CEO of IT Companies Network, told Newsweek.
Americans can also protect themselves from identity theft by having strong passwords for all of their accounts and updating them often.
Two-factor authentication for your bank and other personal accounts also keeps you from having people access your funds or other information for nefarious reasons.
Checking your bank and credit card accounts frequently will also make it easier to flag any suspicious activity immediately.
If you suspect your personal information was already stolen, you should go to the Federal Trade Commission's IdentityTheft.gov website and apply for a personal recovery plan.
You should also contact the Internal Revenue Service to notify them of the potential theft. This will help prevent criminals from filing tax returns under your name and earning your tax refund.
The Internet Complaint Center also allows you to file a complaint online.
Alex Hamerstone, the advisory solutions director for TrustedSec, said companies will need to be increasingly cautious as data breaches become more common.
"IT systems should be set up so that an attacker can't get in with just an employee's credentials," Hamerstone told Newsweek. "Multifactor authentication is absolutely vital, especially at a time when ransomware attacks are hitting companies left and right. This should always be used."
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