The National Public Data breach: what was exposed and what to do
National Public Data sold background check data. Its own notice said hackers got names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and mailing addresses. You probably never dealt with it directly, so the fix is the same as for any SSN leak: freeze your credit.
By the editors of ProtectYour.com Last reviewed 4 min read
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Key takeaways
- National Public Data (Jerico Pictures, Inc.) was a background check and public records company, not a business you would have signed up with.
- Its notice said the data involved name, email address, phone number, Social Security number and mailing address, after a hacking attempt starting in late December 2023.
- Assume your SSN is exposed and freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It is free and lasts until you lift it.
- Add an IRS Identity Protection PIN and check your free credit reports. Expect scams that mention the breach.
- The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2024, so do not expect monitoring or compensation from it.
What National Public Data said happened
National Public Data was a data broker. It compiled public records and other personal data and sold searches and background checks, including Social Security number traces, through its website and an API. People in its files were not its customers, which is why most of them had never heard of it until the breach made the news.
The company posted a notice titled "Security Incident" on its website in August 2024 (archived copy of the company's notice). In it the company said:
- A third-party bad actor was trying to hack into its data in late December 2023, with "potential leaks of certain data in April 2024 and summer 2024".
- The information suspected of being breached contained name, email address, phone number, Social Security number and mailing address(es).
- It cooperated with law enforcement and added security measures.
The notice did not say how many people were affected and did not offer free credit monitoring. It told people to watch their accounts, get their free credit reports, and consider a fraud alert or a credit freeze. That advice is right, and the freeze is the one that does the most.
Court records show that Jerico Pictures, Inc., the company behind National Public Data, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Florida in October 2024 (case 0:24-bk-20281). Whatever happens to lawsuits against it, a company in that position is not going to fix your exposure for you.
Were you affected?
You cannot easily find out, and for planning purposes it does not matter much. Background check files of this kind are built from public records, so they tend to include most adults with a credit or address history in the US. Treat any site that asks for your full SSN to "check" whether you were in a breach with great suspicion.
The useful assumption is simpler: your name, address history and SSN are all obtainable by criminals, from this breach or one of the many before it. Act as if that is true, because the steps that protect you cost nothing.
What to do, in order
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus. A freeze stops lenders from pulling your report, so a thief with your SSN cannot open a new card or loan in your name. It has been free nationwide since September 2018. Follow our step-by-step freeze guide, and see credit lock vs freeze if a bureau tries to sell you a lock instead.
- Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN so nobody can file a tax return with your SSN. See the IP PIN guide.
- Pull your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and look for accounts or inquiries you do not recognize. Our guide to free credit reports explains what to look for.
- Check your Social Security and work records if you want to go further. Our guide on what to do if your SSN is stolen covers a my Social Security account and E-Verify Self Lock.
Breach-themed scams
The bigger lesson: data brokers hold more than you think
National Public Data is an extreme example of an ordinary business model. Dozens of people-search sites publish names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and relatives for anyone to look up. Removing yourself does not undo a breach, but it shrinks what is easy to find, and that makes targeted scams and doxxing harder. Our guide to removing your info from data broker sites shows how to do the opt-outs free.
Common questions
What data was exposed in the National Public Data breach?
National Public Data's own notice said the information suspected of being breached contained name, email address, phone number, Social Security number and mailing address. It said a bad actor tried to hack its data in late December 2023, with potential leaks in April and summer 2024.
Is National Public Data offering credit monitoring?
Its notice did not offer free credit monitoring. It recommended checking credit reports and placing a fraud alert or credit freeze. The company behind it, Jerico Pictures, Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2024.
What is the best thing to do after the National Public Data breach?
Freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A freeze is free, lasts until you lift it, and stops new credit being opened with a stolen Social Security number. Adding an IRS Identity Protection PIN blocks tax-return fraud too.
Your next step
If you want a paid toolAffiliate link
Optery
Best for: People who want their address and phone number off people-search sites without doing dozens of opt-outs by hand.
Not for: Anyone willing to do the opt-outs themselves for free, or whose main worry is public records: no service can remove those.
Visit OpteryRelated guides
- How to freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnionA credit freeze is free, takes about half an hour for all three bureaus, and is the single best defense against someone opening accounts in your name.
- What to do after a data breach, based on what was leakedA breach notice is a prompt, not an emergency. Work out what was exposed, then take the two or three steps that match it.
- What to do if your Social Security number is stolenYou cannot easily change a Social Security number, so the goal is to make a stolen one useless: no new credit, no tax refund, no job in your name. Five free steps cover nearly all of it.
- How to remove your info from data broker and people-search sitesPeople-search sites publish your address, phone number and relatives for anyone to find. You can remove most listings yourself for free. It takes a few hours, and it needs repeating.