Hackers may have stolen the Social Security numbers of every American. Here's how to protect yourself

la times via msn ^ | 8/14/24 | Story by Jon Healey

[RomanSoldier19]

bout four months after a notorious hacking group claimed to have stolen an extraordinary amount of sensitive personal information from a major data broker, a member of the group has reportedly released most of it for free on an online marketplace for stolen personal data.

The breach, which includes Social Security numbers and other sensitive data, could power a raft of identity theft, fraud and other crimes, said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Information Research Group.

[RomanSoldier19]

[bak3r]

Oops. Looks like we need brand new digital IDs now.

[exnavy]

I do not trust MSN anymore than the hackers.

[monkeyshine]

Everyone declare bankruptcy at once. Start over.

[sauropod]

.

[Wilhelm Tell]

To keep track of pesky citizens, not illegal migrants, of course.

[Right Brother]

One of their recommendations is to contact Google to see if you are on the dark web. Uh huh. I would trust a snuff film site over Google.

[BenLurkin]

It should be clear by now to everyone that the Internet was a bad idea.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Progress is a bad thing IMHO

[Reno89519]

Protect myself? I just wish some illegal would get a high paying job using my social security number to build up my social security retirement earnings.

[no-to-illegals]

Mama always said, “Them dang computers are going to be the death of US all !!!”

[ConservativeMind]

Why would a data broker have my Social Security numbet?

[aspasia]

Whose idea was it anyhow?

[Right Brother]

Evil and corruption always finds the newest and most efficient pathway.

[Right Brother]

Progress has always been a double-edged sword.

[Erik Latranyi]

If the internet was a bad idea, what are you doing on FR, hypocrite?

[ronnie raygun]

Trickle down corruption

[fso301]

Everyone declare bankruptcy at once. Start over.

It will be done for us... The Great Reset.

[piytar]

Oops. Looks like we need brand new digital IDs now.

Tattooed on your right hand or forehead. (Most Freepers will get to what I'm referring.)

[BenLurkin]

The problem is progress for the mere sake of progress, as I see it. To me it was obvious at the outset, when they plopped that first IBM PC on my desk (well, cubicle), that whatever benefit the advent of computers might have would be offset by the cost in loss of privacy.

I feared then that 1984 would play out before my eyes, and over the intervening years it often seems that is has.