Last week’s shocking National Public Data breach left billions of Americans’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, in the hands of cybercriminals.
The breach occurred late last year, and the company acknowledged on its website last week that there were “potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024.”
Data going back at least three decades is said to be included in the breach, and the inclusion of Social Security numbers has raised some concerns. Wondering if you’ve been affected? Here’s how to find out.
How can I find out if my citizen service number is involved in the data breach?
Pentester, a cybersecurity firm, has created a tool that lets you see if your data was part of the breach. Use a web browser to go to npd.pentester.com and enter your first and last name and year of birth. You’ll see a list of compromised accounts, including the last four digits of your leaked Social Security numbers.
What should I do if my citizen service number is involved in the data breach?
NPD advises people who may have been affected to keep a close eye on their financial accounts. Most Americans don’t keep a close eye on their checking and savings balances or check every item on their credit card accounts, and hackers are counting on that.
It’s also a good idea to set up credit monitoring to make sure no one is using your personal information. Contact one of the three U.S. credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to set up a fraud alert on your account, which will tell creditors to contact you before opening new accounts or making changes to your existing accounts. Once it’s set up with one bureau, it goes into effect with the others. It stays active for one year and can be renewed.
If you are concerned about identity theft, there is another option: a credit freeze. This will prevent any new credit from being issued without your direct permission.
“Your best protection against opening new credit accounts in your name is the security freeze (also called a credit freeze), not the often-offered but substandard credit monitoring,” according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
