Steps to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft After Massive Social Security Data Breach
Consumer advocates are urgently warning individuals to take immediate steps to protect themselves from identity theft following a massive data breach. The breach reportedly involved billions of records, including sensitive information like Social Security numbers. If you haven’t already taken action, experts recommend doing so right away.
According to a class-action lawsuit, a hacking group claimed to have stolen personal records from National Public Data. This firm provides personal information to entities such as employers and staffing agencies for background checks. The hackers allegedly attempted to sell the stolen data, but have since made a large portion of it available online for free. The potential scope affects virtually every American.
Gregory Luehrs of Wynnewood said he’s taking steps to freeze his credit scores and change his passwords to stay safe.
Rob D’Ovidio, an expert, says that is the right approach. “We’re really concerned because of social security information is was allegedly compromised address information all going back 30 years,” D’Ovidio explained.
Here’s what you should do:
- Freeze Your Credit: Place a freeze on your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This will help prevent criminals from opening new lines of credit, taking out loans, or creating financial accounts in your name.
- Review Your Credit Report: Check your credit report from each of the credit bureaus. You can obtain these reports for free.
- Protect Your Children: D’Ovidio advises parents to take these precautions for their children as well.
- Consider Credit Monitoring: Sign up for a free credit monitoring service if possible. At a minimum, set up a fraud alert with the credit bureaus. This will notify you if someone attempts to open an account in your name, as a credit check would be required.
- Monitor the Dark Web: Use tools from Google and Experian to scan the dark web for your information to assess whether it has been compromised. These services can alert you if your data is found.
- Check Data Breach Sites: Consider using a free tool from cybersecurity companies like Pentester, which offers a service to search for your information within the breached National Public Data files.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Make sure that all of your online accounts require two-factor authentication to boost security.
The news outlet reached out to National Public Data for comment regarding the breach but has not yet received a response.
For more information, visit these resources:
- ID Protection Tips: IdentityTheft.gov
- Step-by-Step Guide to Freezing Your Credit Files: PIRG.org
- National Public Data Breach Check: NPD.pentester.com
