National Public Data recently experienced a massive data breach involving over 2.9 billion records and there is a very good chance you are on the list! This USA Today article outlines the specifics of the breach and steps to protect your information.
Pentester.com allows you to confirm whether your personal data may be in the hands of hackers. Regardless of whether you are on the list, you should take steps to protect your information. Note: you may be prompted to set up an account with pentester, you DO NOT need an account to look up whether your information has been compromised.
What is the best way to ensure you are protected?
We highly recommend you freeze your credit immediately with all three credit reporting agencies.
Freezing your credit is a proactive step to protect your financial identity. It prevents new creditors from accessing your credit report, making it more difficult for identity thieves to open accounts in your name.
To place a freeze, you need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus separately.
Credit Freeze Links:
Another way to keep a close eye on any fraudulent activity is to set up credit monitoring. Per consumer reports, you do not really have to set up credit monitoring but according to experts, setting up a credit freeze is crucial.
Credit Monitoring Services (According to experts not necessary)
If you are considering a credit monitoring service, you should read the links below. These services will not prevent a fraudulent account/credit being open in your name. They will notify you after the fact.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/01/don-t-get-taken-guarding-your-id/index.htm
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/credit-monitoring-identity-theft-monitoring