Social Security Breach
Is Your SSN in the National Public Data
Breach? Here’s How to Find Out
Two cybersecurity firms launch separate websites that can tell you if your personal information,
including Social Security number, was exposed in the National Public Data breach.
A massive data breach has Americans worried about their private info getting into the wrong hands, but
a pair of newly released websites could make it easier to find out if you’re affected.
The breach concerns a little-known company called National Public Data, which performs background
checks on US residents. Last week, the company finally confirmed that hackers stole a large database
containing records on people’s names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. Making matters worse
is that the database has been freely circulating on an internet forum for cybercriminals and fraudsters to
download.
Atlas Privacy
Initially, it wasn’t easy to see if your personal information was ensnared in the breach since the stolen
database is 277GB. But New Jersey-based Atlas Privacy Data Corporation has created npdbreach.com,
which can flag if your Social Security, phone number, or full name and ZIP code are in the archive. The
site also doesn’t store any user searches.
Pentester
Pentester also created a website at npd.pentester.com to help users see if they’re impacted. For better or
worse, though, the site will reveal a user’s redacted Social Security number and date of birth, along
with the full address and phone number record. On the plus side, this makes the site more helpful in
discovering whether your friends or family members were ensnared in the hack. But on the downside,
the site can easily expose phone numbers and address data for random users.
How To Freeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
| Experian | Experian Credit Freeze page | 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742) | Experian Security Freeze P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 |
| Equifax | Equifax Credit Freeze page | 888-298-0045 | Equifax Information Services, LLC P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 |
| TransUnion | TransUnion Credit Freeze page | 800-916-8800 | TransUnion P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094 |