Members of the notorious hacker group USDoD have reportedly leaked a massive amount of sensitive personal information that could potentially affect billions of individuals around the world. The leaked information includes sensitive information such as full names, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers. There are several steps consumers can take in response to this massive breach.
LA Times Reports A member of the hacking group USDoD, who goes only by the name Felice, claims to have exposed the personal information of around 2.7 billion people. The data, allegedly stolen from major data broker National Public Data, includes highly sensitive information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers.
The breach, first reported in a class action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, raises serious concerns about the potential for widespread identity theft, fraud, and other criminal activity. Theresa Murray, director of consumer oversight for the U.S. Public Intelligence Research Group, emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, “If this is in fact nearly all the information about all of us, then this is far more worrying than previous breaches.”
The leaked information could be used by criminals to take over existing accounts or create fake accounts, causing significant financial and personal harm to affected individuals. While some critical information appears to be missing from the leaked data, such as email addresses and driver’s license and passport photos, combinations of names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and mailing addresses still pose a significant threat.
What you can do to protect yourself
In the wake of this data breach, experts recommend that individuals take immediate steps to protect themselves. One important step is to freeze your credit with the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This free service will prevent criminals from opening new accounts with stolen personal information. Additionally, you can add an extra layer of security by signing up for an account monitoring service and enabling two-factor authentication on your existing accounts. Consumers who are particularly concerned about identity theft should also consider identity theft insurance, offered by many major insurance companies.
Murray also warned of possible scams linked to the breach, urging people to be wary of unsolicited emails or text messages pretending to be from National Public Data or other companies offering assistance – scammers often use such tactics to trick victims into divulging sensitive information.
National Public Data said it has not formally notified affected individuals about the breach but is investigating the allegations and has removed all nonpublic personal information from its entire database, although the company may be required to retain certain records to comply with legal obligations.
Learn more of LA Times here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
