National Public Data, the online service for background checks and fraud prevention that faced a significant hacking incident in one of the largest social security breaches, has resumed operations and may still represent a security risk. In 2024, the organization disclosed that a malicious individual gained access to its systems during a December 2023 breach, transmitting information to the black market for several months. It took a considerable amount of time for National Public Data to reveal the breach specifics, which compromised nearly thirty years’ worth of Social Security records, impacting hundreds of millions of individuals. The exposed data encompassed Social Security numbers, complete names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, prompting many users to freeze their credit and protect themselves against identity theft.

The website was taken offline last year following the controversy, but National Public Data has made a comeback. PC Mag indicates that the domain is now active under a new, unspecified owner. The site functions as a people search engine, collecting personal information from publicly accessible sources, including federal records.

At the bottom of the homepage, the new National Public Data directs to a statement regarding the 2023 breach, highlighting the critical importance of user data protection and referencing strong encryption methods and adherence to data privacy laws.

To opt out of being listed on National Public Data’s search results, individuals must submit a request for their personal information to be removed by completing the company’s Opt Out Form. Users are required to locate and copy the link to their personal data profile on the site. Alternatively, individuals may utilize a personal data removal service to eliminate their information from various websites or manually remove their information from search engines such as Google.