National Public Data (NPD), a Florida-based background check company, has confirmed a massive data breach involving 2.9 billion records, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses. The breach, believed to have been carried out by the cybercriminal group USDoD, occurred in late 2023 with data posted for sale on the dark web in April 2024. A class action lawsuit has been filed in response. NPD is cooperating with investigators and has implemented new security measures. Security firm Pentester.com offers a tool at npd.pentester.com to check if your data was exposed. Experts recommend freezing your credit to protect against identity theft, as Social Security numbers are permanent and highly sensitive.