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The Slow-Burn Nightmare of the National Public Data Breach
Social Security numbers, physical addresses, and more—all available online. After months of confusion, leaked information from a background check firm underscores the long-term risks of data breaches.
In April, a hacker known for selling stolen information, known as USDoD, began hawking a trove of data on cybercriminal forums for $3.5 million that they said included 2.9 billion records and impacted “the entire population of USA, CA and UK.” As the weeks went on, samples of the data started cropping up as other actors and legitimate researchers worked to understand its source and validate the information. Indeed, over the past few days, many people included in the data have begun receiving notifications about the breach from credit monitoring and threat intelligence services. “When numerous breaches are combined in a systematic, organized, and searchable way they can provide a complete picture and data profile of individual citizens.”
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