COURT: S. D. Fla.
-TRACK DOCKET: No. 0:24-cv-61383
–
A company called Jerico Pictures Inc., which does business as National Public Data, accidentally exposed the personal information of almost 3 billion people in an April data breach, a proposed lawsuit claims.
On April 8, a group of hackers posted a database containing the personal details of 2.9 billion people on a secret part of the internet called the “dark web.” They claimed to have gotten this information from National Public Data and put it up for sale for $3.5 million.
The breach could be one of the biggest ever if confirmed, affecting that many people. But it’s not clear when or how the breach happened, and the company hasn’t told anyone affected yet.
National Public Data collects personal information from people who didn’t give permission, like Social Security numbers, addresses, names, and more. The exposed information includes things like Social Security numbers, current and past addresses, full names, and even information about relatives – including some who have been dead for almost 20 years.
The company hasn’t commented yet.
Christopher Hofmann, the person bringing the lawsuit, is from California. He found out his data was exposed when he got a notification from an identity-protection service on July 24. He’s suing National Public Data for not doing enough to protect people’s information and for making money off of it.
He wants the court to make the company delete all the personal information it has, encrypt any new data it collects, and do some other things like scan its databases regularly and hire a third-party expert to check its cybersecurity systems every year for 10 years.
Kopelowitz Ostrow PA, Arnold Law Firm, and Wucetich & Korovilas LLP are representing Hofmann and the proposed group of people who might be affected.
This case is called Hofmann v. Jerico Pictures Inc., S. D. Fla., No. 0:24-cv-61383.
Source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/background-check-data-of-3-billion-stolen-in-breach-suit-says