Hackers Leak Personal Information of around 2.7 Billion People for Free

• A public records data provider called National Public Data was hit by a cyber attack as a result of which the personal data records of around 2.7 billion people has been leaked online.
• There are two potential threat actors who might have carried out the attack: SXUL or USDoD.
• Leaked data includes names, physical addresses, mailing addresses, and social security numbers.

The personal data of a mind-boggling 2.7 billion folks have been leaked on a popular hacking forum Breached' after a company called National Public Data got hit by a cyber attack.

National Public Data is a public records data provider. It collects user data from public sources and puts together complete user profiles to help with background checks and private investigations. Naturally, the breach of such a company will lead to a massive leak of personal data.

About the Attack

The first time anyone ever heard of the breach was in April 2024 when a well-known threat actor called USDoD claimed to have exfiltrated the data of 2.9 billion people from the US, UK, and Canada. The data was put on sale for a whopping $3.5 million.

We don't know what happened after that, but then suddenly, various threat actors started releasing partial copies of the stolen information for free. Each leak consisted of a different number of records, and in some cases, completely different data.

Then, on August 6, a hacking group called Fenice leaked the most complete set of records, for free, on the hacking forum Breached.

However, we couldn't confirm if it was the same dataset that was stolen from the National Public Data because Fenice said that the data it released was stolen by another group called SXUL and not USDoD.

Also, the original number shared by USDoD was 2.9 billion, but in the leak by Fenice, only 2.7 billion records were found.

Related: GMA's data breach compromises 341,650 social security numbers and other personal details

About the Leaked DataThe leaked database consists of two files totaling 277 GB and nearly 2.7 billion plaintext records, which include names, mailing addresses, social security numbers, all known physical addresses, and even aliases.

The previously leaked versions (the smaller leaks before Fenice leaked the whole database) also contained phone numbers and email addresses, but Fenice's doesn't.

Extent of Damage

It's well worth noting that the leaked database might have multiple records for the same person if they have lived in different addresses. So, it's safe to assume that not exactly 2.7 billion people were impacted.

Also, if the physical addresses and mailing addresses are outdated, it might not be a huge concern for the compromised individuals.

The biggest concern is the leaked social security numbers. Users are requested to keep an eye on their financial statements and watch out for any fraudulent activity.

Those who have their phone numbers leaked are requested to watch out for phishing attacks. This includes not clicking on any unknown link or responding to an unknown contact, especially if the other person is asking too many personal questions.

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