A recent data breach has revealed that hackers have allegedly stolen the personal information of every American, including sensitive details like Social Security numbers and birthdays. This breach, which originated from a background check company in April, could potentially involve up to 2.7 billion records. The incident has sparked a class action lawsuit and reignited fears about identity theft among the public. Experts, including Cliff Steinhauer from the National Cybersecurity Alliance, emphasize that this breach is part of a larger trend of privacy violations affecting nearly everyone. With compromised data, individuals face heightened risks of identity theft, which can lead to unauthorized credit lines and financial loss. To mitigate these risks, experts recommend freezing credit with major agencies, placing fraud alerts on credit reports, and regularly reviewing credit reports for suspicious activity. Additional protective measures include using unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and being vigilant against phishing scams.
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