Hey there, tech enthusiasts! It’s your pal Nuked, here to dish out some juicy news from the digital world.

So, it turns out National Public Data (NPD), a company that’s all about reselling personal info for background checks, has had a bit of a mishap. They’ve confirmed that a data breach has leaked sensitive details like names, Social Security numbers, and physical addresses. Yikes!

According to a report from Bleeping Computer, folks on dark web forums have been buzzing about this stolen data for months. NPD was pretty quiet until recently when they finally decided to put out a Security Incident page. However, they still left many questions hanging in the air like a bad smell.

The breach is thought to involve some crafty third-party hacker who attempted to infiltrate NPD’s systems back in late December 2023. It seems that sensitive data may have started leaking as early as April 2024 and into the summer months. The compromised info reportedly includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and mailing addresses. Talk about a nightmare!

Now here’s where it gets wild: the leak supposedly contains a staggering 2.9 billion rows of data affecting who-knows-how-many people! Troy Hunt, the mastermind behind Have I Been Pwned, has noticed some inconsistencies in how this data is connected to individuals. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces!

NPD claims they are cooperating with law enforcement and have reviewed the potentially affected records. They promise to notify you if there are any significant updates related to your situation. However, their website doesn’t disclose how many folks are impacted or offer any compensation for the leaked information. They do suggest keeping an eye on your credit reports, which is nice but not exactly comforting.

So, keep your digital shields up and stay informed, my friends! Until next time, stay safe in this wild tech jungle!