Hackers know your social security number. Here's how to stay safe

Thanks to a multitude of data leaks, your most sensitive information is now easily accessible to the world.

- ALAINA YEE

For anyone trying to keep their personal information secure, recent headlines have been a grim kick in the pants. The harshest came last month when the National Public Data breach was disclosed—the source of a purported 2.9 billion records spilling onto the dark web. But it wasn’t the only prominent data leak. In early September, Medicare contacted almost a million beneficiaries about a loss of personal identifiable information related to a vulnerability in third-party software.

In other words, your social security number—central to filing taxes, applying and maintaining credit, and receiving certain U.S. government benefits—is very likely available to hackers and would-be criminals for exploit. And if it isn’t yet, the unfortunate reality is that another data breach will inevitably change that.

You don’t have to wait for trouble to find you, however. You can take several steps to minimize the possibility of identity theft or fraud in your name, since other details like your full name, birthdate, and residence are also likely loose in the wild. Here’s what to do.

1. CHECK TO SEE WHAT DETAILS HAVE LEAKED

This step isn’t strictly necessary since you can take precautionary measures whether or not you’ve been caught in a major data breach. But confirming if your info was leaked can be helpful—like when you’re convincing yourself or loved ones to take action.

Generally you shouldn’t volunteer your personal details to websites claiming to check if you were caught in a data breach, especially if you don’t know who runs them. But several have been vetted, with a couple dedicated specifically to the National Public Data breach—and don’t require sensitive info for verification.

• NPD Breach Check (fave.co/3YmUMTh)

• National Public Data Breach Check & Search (fave.co/3NpIwv5)