Why a Data Broker Breach Becomes Years of Identity Risk

A December 2023 breach of National Public Data exposed 2.9 billion records—including Social Security numbers, addresses, and birthdates—for 170 million people across North America. Unlike stolen credit cards, which can be cancelled, these identifiers are permanent. Criminals can use them for years: synthetic identity fraud, account takeovers, and social-engineering attacks that exploit verified personal details to appear legitimate.