Find Out If Your Social Security Number Was Stolen in Massive Data Breach Last Week

The recent data breach at National Public Data (NPD) has sent shockwaves through the American public, exposing billions of people’s personal information, including Social Security numbers.

This massive security failure, which the company disclosed on its website last week, actually occurred in late 2023. NPD also admitted to “potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”

The scope of this breach is staggering. It reportedly includes data going back at least 30 years, with Social Security numbers being a key part of the compromised information. This has understandably sparked widespread concern among citizens.

If you’re worried your data might have been part of this breach, there’s a way to check.

Pentester, a cybersecurity company, has created an online tool to help people determine if their information was compromised. You can access this tool at npd.pentester.com.

Simply enter your first and last name along with your birth year. The site will then show you a list of breached accounts, including the last four digits of any leaked Social Security numbers.

So what should you do if you find out your Social Security number was part of the breach? NPD recommends keeping a close eye on your financial accounts.

As Ed Mierzwinski of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group points out, “Your best protection against someone opening new credit accounts in your name is the security freeze (also known as the credit freeze), not the often-offered, under-achieving credit monitoring.”

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

Monitor your financial accounts closely. Many people don’t regularly check their bank balances or scrutinize their credit card statements – and cybercriminals count on this lack of attention.
Set up credit monitoring to track any suspicious activity using your personal information.
Contact one of the three major U.S. credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your account. This alert will require creditors to verify your identity before opening new accounts or changing existing ones. Once you set it up with one agency, it automatically applies to all three. The alert lasts for one year and can be renewed.
For maximum protection, consider a credit freeze. This prevents new credit from being issued without your explicit permission.

The NPD breach is a grim reminder of the vulnerability of our personal data stored online. By taking these proactive steps, you can help safeguard your financial identity and minimize the potential damage from this unprecedented data breach.