Massive National Data Breach Exposes 3 Billion Records

 

Unprecedented Data Breach Exposes 2.9 Billion People's Personal Information

A colossal data breach has left the personal details of approximately 2.9 billion individuals, including sensitive information like Social Security numbers of millions of Americans, exposed on the dark web. This breach, originating from a cyberattack on a Florida-based background-check company, Jerico Pictures, doing business as National Public Data (NPD), is one of the largest in history. The stolen data was reportedly offered for sale on April 8 for a staggering $3.5 million.

The breach has triggered a proposed class action lawsuit, filed last Thursday, alleging that Jerico Pictures failed to adequately secure their hardware, leading to the leak of protected personal identifiable information (PII). If the scope of this breach is confirmed, it could challenge the infamous 2013 Yahoo! breach, which affected 3 billion people worldwide.

The cybercriminal group responsible for selling the data, known as "USDoD," is believed to operate out of Latin America. In a move to confirm the authenticity of the stolen information, the group shared part of the data with cybersecurity experts, who have verified its legitimacy. The compromised database includes detailed personal information, such as address histories, names of relatives, and even data on deceased individuals.

According to cybersecurity experts who reviewed the leaked files, the data encompasses the first and last names, current and previous addresses, Social Security numbers, and detailed family information for the affected individuals. This breach is likely to impact most Americans, as well as their deceased relatives, unless they had previously opted out of such data collection services.

Despite the massive scope of the breach, Jerico Pictures, headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, has yet to confirm the breach or provide information on how it occurred. The company has also not alerted the millions of potentially affected individuals, raising significant concerns about the repercussions of this data exposure.

With the current U.S. population estimated at around 336.8 million people, this breach potentially impacts a significant portion of the population, along with many deceased individuals. The scale of the breach, involving 2.9 billion people globally, underscores the severity of the incident.

The class action lawsuit against Jerico Pictures argues that the company not only failed to protect the data but also collected it from various sources without the knowledge or consent of the individuals. The attorneys, led by the Kopelowitz Ostrow Firm, accuse the company of negligence in handling such sensitive information.

As more details emerge, this breach could soon be recognized as one of the worst in history. The long-term effects on the individuals involved, particularly those in the U.S., could be profound, with many potentially joining the class action lawsuit against the company.

The full impact of this breach remains to be seen, but it has already sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community, highlighting the critical need for stronger data protection measures.