3 billion hit in catastrophic data breach exposing full names, addresses and SSNs on dark web

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A new class action lawsuit has been filed against Jerico Pictures Inc., also known as National Public Data, alleging a massive data breach that exposed the personal details of nearly 3 billion people.

The complaint, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, details an incident on April 8, where a hacker group called USDoD allegedly released a database labeled “National Public Data” on a dark web forum. The group claimed this database contained sensitive information from 2.9 billion individuals and attempted to sell it for $3.5 million.

This breach, if verified, could rival some of the largest data leaks ever recorded, surpassing even the 2013 Yahoo breach which compromised data from about 3 billion users.

The exact timing and method of the breach remain unclear, and National Public Data has yet to notify those affected. The company, which collects personal data from various non-public sources, reportedly did not have consent from individuals whose information was exposed. The compromised data includes Social Security numbers, addresses over several decades, full names, and information about relatives, including some who have been deceased for years.

Christopher Hofmann, a California resident and named plaintiff, discovered his data was leaked through his identity-theft protection service on July 24. He accuses National Public Data of negligence, unjust enrichment, and violations of fiduciary duties and contractual obligations. Hofmann is seeking both monetary damages and a series of measures to enhance data security, including the removal and encryption of personal information, improved data management practices, and annual cybersecurity assessments by an independent third party.