As a new massive data breach has prompted many Americans to wonder if they've been personally affected. Here's what experts say is best to do now.
A massive data breach by a company named National Public Data could have made billions of personal financial records vulnerable.Glowimages | Getty Images
"It is entirely possible that it is that low; it's also entirely possible it's higher," Lee said of the number of people affected.The information breached may have included Social Security numbers, names, email addresses, phone numbers and mailing addresses, National Public Data states on its website.
Still, experts say news of the breach is a great reminder to take steps to protect your personal information. Here's a roundup of answers to common consumers are asking now.Yes. National Public Data is a background check company that provides information either through legitimate sources or by scraping it off the web, Lee said. Because the data is collected more casually, it can be gathered without consumers' permission and outside of certain regulations.
By entering your name, you may get a sense of what information, if any, has been shared. The good news is most people are finding information that has been leaked is inaccurate, Lee said.If you find you're included in the breach, the steps you should take are not necessarily new. Additionally, you should change all your passwords, particularly if you have repeated passwords among multiple websites. Ideally, you should enable multi-factor authentication for personal websites to help keep your financial data secure. Also, never share your personal information while using public internet.In addition to freezing your credit, there are ways to purchase additional protection.
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