How to Protect Yourself After the National Public Data Breach: Steps to Secure Your Information

Recently, the National Public Data (NPD) breach exposed sensitive personal information on millions of Americans. This breach is one of the largest in recent history, and it’s likely that all Social Security numbers were compromised. If your data was part of this breach, your financial security could be at risk. It’s crucial to take immediate action to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.

In this article, I’ll guide you through how to check if your data was compromised and the steps you should take to freeze your credit reports at the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Freezing your credit is one of the most effective ways to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in your name.

How to Check if Your Data Was Compromised: The first step is to find out if your data was compromised in the NPD breach. You can do this by visiting the following link: Check if Your Data Was Compromised. Simply enter your information, and the tool will tell you if your data was involved in the breach.

Steps to Freeze Your Credit Reports: If you discover that your data was compromised, it’s important to freeze your credit reports at all three major credit bureaus. Freezing your credit prevents anyone from accessing your credit report to open new accounts in your name. Here’s how to do it:

Equifax:

• Visit Equifax Credit Freeze.
• Follow the instructions to freeze your credit. This service is free of charge.

TransUnion:

• Visit TransUnion Credit Freeze.
• Follow the instructions to freeze your credit. This service is also free.

Experian:

• Visit Experian Credit Freeze.
• Follow the instructions to freeze your credit. Be cautious—Experian often tries to upsell you on a paid plan every time you log in. I strongly recommend that you never provide a credit card to any of these sites. If you’re interested in credit monitoring, I suggest using MyFICO, which is more complete.
• Also - Experian makes it hard to find the Freeze page. The menu leads you to the Protection page which is a paid service, so after you sign up your account follow my link above to find the FREEZE PAGE.

Why Freezing Your Credit Matters: Freezing your credit reports is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from identity theft. It prevents potential fraudsters from accessing your credit information, which means they can’t open new credit accounts, take out loans, or make major purchases in your name. Best of all, freezing and unfreezing your credit is free and easy.

Conclusion: The National Public Data breach is a serious incident that could have lasting effects on your financial security. By checking if your data was compromised and freezing your credit reports, you can take control and protect yourself from potential identity theft. Remember, these services are free—don’t fall for unnecessary paid plans. Stay safe and take action today.