Months after a notorious hacking collective claimed to have pilfered nearly three billion records from a prominent information broker, a significant portion of the allegedly compromised data has reportedly surfaced on an online forum. According to reports, a staggering 2.7 billion records of sensitive, non-public data for individuals in the United States are exposed, encompassing identifying details such as names, Social Security numbers, possible aliases, and comprehensive lists of physical addresses where they have resided.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the unencrypted information may have originated from a reputable source, Nationwide Public Knowledge, a well-known dealer in this field. The company compiles individual profiles by harvesting publicly available data, subsequently marketing this information to clients seeking background checks or access to criminal records. A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed against Nationwide Public Knowledge regarding a data breach that occurred earlier this month.
In April, a hacking collective claiming affiliation with the US Department of Defense (USDoD) allegedly attempted to disseminate nearly 2.9 billion records of personal data it claimed had been compromised from corporate entities, including sensitive information regarding individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Despite initially attempting to safeguard a vast 4TB database, subsequent breaches have led to the unauthorized disclosure of fragmented information by various parties.
Although earlier breaches revealed sensitive information such as phone numbers and email addresses, the latest and most comprehensive leak appears to have excluded these details. Since you cannot verify whether the information includes your email address by simply entering it into the search bar and checking for a match.
The information comprises numerous datasets for multiple individuals, each corresponding to the location where they are known to have resided. The dump contains approximately 277 gigabytes of textual content data in total. While it’s unlikely for an unbiased party to verify that the compromised data pertains specifically to each individual in the US, as noted, the breach may still involve information about anyone residing within the nation.
A small number of individuals have verified the accuracy of the information held by the dump regarding themselves and their family members, including deceased relatives, but in certain cases, Social Security numbers have been incorrectly linked to individuals. It posits that the alleged breach may have originated from a past backup, as the compromised data lacks the current residential addresses of individuals whose details were cross-checked against the information.
Regardless of the circumstances, it’s crucial to take proactive measures to protect yourself against potential adverse consequences resulting from a data breach, such as fraud and identity theft. It’s crucial to remain vigilant in combating scams and phishing attacks that aim to gain access to your online accounts, thereby protecting your digital identity and assets. Verify the credit score records to detect potential fraudulent activity and promptly notify the relevant credit scoring agencies if irregularities are discovered, thus ensuring the accuracy of your credit information. You’ll have the authority to request that credit reporting bureaus impose a security freeze on your credit file, thereby preventing unauthorized entities from opening new accounts, obtaining mortgages, or applying for credit in your name.
You’ll have the ability to connect with service providers offering identity theft protection and security from the general public internet, thereby reducing the likelihood of being negatively affected. Nonetheless, most of these service providers typically come with a fee.
Wherever possible, employ two-factor authentication, preferably utilizing codes obtained from a trusted authenticator app rather than relying on SMS. As a matter of utmost importance, we strongly recommend that you never reuse the same login credentials across multiple platforms, and always change passwords for sensitive accounts regularly.
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