Data Enrichment Exposure From PDL Customer

Overview

On ⁨October 16, 2019⁩, ⁨Data Enrichment Exposure From PDL Customer⁩ was breached. Once the breach was discovered and verified, it was added to our database on ⁨November 22, 2019⁩.

What data was compromised:

  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Employers, Geographic locations, Job titles, Names, Social media profiles
Breach data provided by Have I Been Pwned

What to do to protect your personal info

Though passwords weren’t exposed in this breach, there are still steps you can take to better protect your personal info.

Avoid sharing your phone number

Try to avoid giving out your phone number when signing up for new accounts or services. If a phone number isn’t required, don’t enter it.

Use an email mask

Giving out your real email address makes it easier for hackers or trackers to find your passwords or target you online. A service like ⁨Firefox Relay⁩ hides your real email address while forwarding emails to your real inbox.

Try ⁨Firefox Relay⁩
Use unique, strong passwords for every account

Password reuse puts all your accounts at risk. This means that if one password gets exposed, hackers have the keys to many accounts.

Store passwords in a safe place

Put your login details in a secure place only you can access, such as a password manager. This also makes it easy to keep track of all your different passwords.

Be cautious about giving out personal information

Don’t hand out personal data if you don’t have to. If you are asked to enter or give out your email address, ZIP code, or phone number, you can say no.

Update software and apps regularly

Updating your smartphone apps, browsers, and operating systems makes your devices more secure. These updates fix bugs, software vulnerabilities, and security problems.

What is a data aggregator?

Data aggregators, or data brokers, collect information from public records and buy it from other companies. They compile this data to sell it to companies for marketing purposes. Victims of these breaches are less likely to experience financial fraud, but hackers could use this data to impersonate or profile them.