National Public Data (NPD) made news last week following a significant data hack compromising the personal data of billions of Americans. Only just discovered, the late last year hack has the corporation acknowledging on its website that “there were potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.
Given that the breach apparently spans at least three decades, its magnitude is astounding. Social Security numbers and other extremely sensitive data in this file cause great worry among those who believe their identities might be at risk.
There are ways to find out whether the hack compromised your Social Security number. Cybersecurity company Pen tester has created a tool you may use to see whether your data was part of the hack. Visit npd.pentester.com on your web browser to employ the tool.
You will then have to provide your first and last name as well as year of birth once there. You will be sent a list of hacked accounts connected to your information once you have supplied this data. The program will also provide the last four digits of any compromised Social Security number connected to your account.
Should your Social Security number be among the compromised data, you should act right now to guard your financial records. NPD counsels impacted people to be alert in their account monitoring.
Many Americans lack the practice of routinely reviewing their bank balances or closely examining every item on their credit card statements, which sadly helps cybercriminals who depend on this inattention to use stolen data.
What should I do if my Social Security number was included in the breach?
Establishing credit monitoring is a sensible way to ensure your personal data isn’t being utilized illegally. To put a fraud alert on your account, also call one of the three main U.S. credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
For honest creditors, a fraud notice serves as a warning and advises them to exercise additional care before opening new accounts or altering current ones in your name. Once you put a fraud warning with one agency in place, the other two automatically start to work, saving time. The alert stays valid for one year and can be renewed should it be needed following the first term.
A credit freeze is a more solid choice for people really worried about the likelihood of identity theft. Preventing new credit accounts formed in your name without your express authorization, a credit freeze—also referred to as a security freeze—helps This can be a good approach to guard against dishonest behavior resulting from the use of your personal data.
The only drawback is that you will have to unfreeze your credit for any significant transactions you intend to make, which can be occasionally difficult; but, the advantages greatly exceed the difficulty, particularly in relation to possible fraud.
Emphasizing the success of this strategy, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group notes, “Your best protection against someone opening new credit accounts in your name is the security freeze (also known as a credit freeze), not the often offered, underperforming credit monitoring.”
Given the current hack and the various problems we have witnessed lately, everyone should act pro-actively to guard personal data. Being alert about your bank accounts and using the provided measures can help lower the risk of identity theft and financial fraud given the possible broad effects.