National Public Data Breach: What You Need to Know and How to Protect Yourself
The recent data breach at National Public Data, a company responsible for managing billions of records, has left millions of Americans concerned about their personal information. Reports indicate that over 2.7 billion records may have been exposed, making this one of the largest breaches in recent history. If you’re wondering whether your data has been compromised, you can check by visiting npd.pentester.com and entering your details.
What Information Was Leaked?
The breach has potentially exposed sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. While the accuracy of the data varies, it’s crucial to assume that your information might be out there and take proactive steps to protect yourself.
What You Should Do Next
- Freeze Your Credit: Immediately freeze your credit with all three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This will prevent bad actors from opening new accounts in your name. Remember, you’ll need to unfreeze your credit temporarily if you plan to apply for new credit.
- Change Your Passwords: If you use the same password across multiple websites, now is the time to change them. The leaked data can provide hackers with clues to guess your passwords. Make sure to create strong, unique passwords for each account.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification beyond your password. Enable MFA on all accounts where it’s available.
- Sign Up for Identity Theft Protection: Consider subscribing to an identity theft monitoring service. These services can alert you if someone attempts to use your personal information, and some even offer dark web monitoring to check if your data has been shared.
Potential Risks and Why Action Is Necessary
With the vast amount of data leaked, bad actors have numerous ways to exploit this information. They can use your Social Security number for identity theft, apply for credit in your name, or even try to guess your passwords using other personal details. Even if you don’t see immediate signs of fraud, taking these precautions will help protect your identity in the long run.
Don’t Stress Out
While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the news of such a massive data breach, taking these steps can help mitigate the risks. Start by checking whether your data has been compromised, and then follow the steps outlined above to secure your personal information. Being proactive now can save you from potential headaches down the road.
Business Owners/Presidents/CEO’s
If you are a business owner, president, or CEO, it’s important to protect your company and your client data from leaking into the wild. Talk to us today to find out how you can check if you are taking all protective measures.
FAQ
Q: Will freezing my credit keep me from using my credit cards?
A: No, freezing your credit with the three credit bureaus will only keep new credit cards or loans from being opened.
Q: Is it safe to enter my email into the pentester.com website?
A: Yes, pentester will give you a comprehensive scan of your email across many data breaches and will show you information. You are not required to pay the fee. It is only if you want to save the data and use its additional features to help you remove your data.
