--- title: "Hackers May Have Leaked Every American’s Social Security Information" description: "A background check site may have been majorly breached, resulting in the potential exposure of literally everyone's Social Security numbers." date: "2024-08-14" modified: "2024-08-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/hackers-social-security-information" categories: - "Cybersecurity" - "Future Society" - "Hacking" tags: - "data breach" - "hackers" - "privacy" - "social security" - "the digest" --- # Hackers May Have Leaked Every American’s Social Security Information ![A background check site may have been majorly breached, resulting in the potential exposure of literally everyone's Social Security numbers.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Social Insecurity Security experts are warning that a background check site may have been breached, resulting in the potential exposure of billions of Social Security and address records that could cover everyone in the United States. As [*BleepingComputer* reports](), a hacking forum lit up when a user claimed to have access to a huge cache of documents gleaned from data brokerage National Public Data. Though it [doesn't share its methodology on its website](), NPD is believed to scrape its data from publicly available records to create individual user profiles generally used by private investigators or in background or criminal records checks. The hack reportedly doesn't just affect people in the US. The 2.9 *billion* files are also said to contain personal information for people in the United Kingdom and Canada as well. When the alleged NPD hack was [first posted to these forums back in April](), the person selling the cache for a cool $3.5 million claimed it contained information on every person in all three countries. After that initial sale post earlier this year, others later posted portions of the cache for free on the hacker forum Breached likely greatly accelerating their dissemination online. ## Historic Breach Along with containing tons and tons of records that link names to Social Security numbers and addresses, the unencrypted cache is also said to attribute potential aliases of individuals as well. While *Bleeping Computer* was not able to confirm whether the breach truly did impact every person in the US, the UK, and Canada, its reporters did verify with some people whose names, Social Security numbers, and addresses were contained within it that they were correct. However, their current place of residence was out of date. Others they spoke to, however, said that their Social Security numbers were linked to people who were not them. As *Bleeping Computer* notes, it's important to know that each "record" is associated with every address a person has lived at. If you've moved around a lot, that means your corresponding record from this breach could have multiple address records connected to your name. A background check company called [Jerico Pictures]() that's believed to conduct business under the National Public Data moniker has been hit with a [class-action lawsuit]() over its alleged failure to protect all that data. The company itself, meanwhile, has seemingly not responded to any requests for comment, though as the [*Los Angeles Times* reports](), it has been telling users that it has purged its entire database and is "investigating" the "third-party claims" about the breach. Experts told the *LA Times* that in the case of suspicion of identifying data theft, the best course of action is to freeze your credit cards. **More on big breaches:** [*Bumble and Hinge Let Creeps See Your Exact Location*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()