NPD Breach
In April, a hacker began selling stolen data from National Public Data (NPD), a consumer data broker. The successful access was not acknowledged by NPD until August 12th. The website of the data broker had contained a zip file with the back-end passwords needed to access the database.
As a consumer data broker, the NPD database contained names, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers for people going back decades.
- There are a number of articles about this in the press, such as this informative one by Brian Krebs.
- There are a number of sites where you can check if your data was exposed.
- If you haven’t already done so, here is how to freeze your credit file at the credit bureaus.
- Check your credit score for free at AnnualCreditReport.com - despite the name you can now run a fresh score report weekly.
The recent National Public Data (NPD) breach that occurred in the spring and summer of 2024 has resulted in a significant amount of consumer personal information being exposed on the dark web. This breach is expected to trigger approximately 170 million dark web alerts in the coming weeks, likely leading to a substantial increase in participant calls to Experian’s call center; this influx of call volume may result in longer wait times.
To ensure UC participants receive clear guidance on these alerts and to minimize any potential disruption Experian is implementing the following actions:
- Enhanced CyberAgent® Dark Web Monitoring Alerts: Additional language will be included in Experian email alerts to provide clearer instructions and reassurance to participants.
- Portal Dashboard Banner: A new banner will be added to the portal dashboard, offering members recommended next steps to take in response to the alerts.
- Updated Call Center Resources: Experian is updating their call center's voice recording and phone tree to educate participants on the necessary steps to take and guide them to resources that can help, such as placing a fraud alert or credit freeze, without needing to speak directly to an agent.