Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has announced the launch of an investigation into National Public Data, a background check company, amid allegations that the company failed to adequately secure and protect the personally identifiable information of Missouri residents. The data at risk includes sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, current and past addresses, full names, and other private records.
Attorney General Bailey emphasized the importance of protecting Missouri consumers, stating, “I will always fight for Missouri consumers, especially if their personal information was stolen by bad actors. Companies have a duty under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act to safeguard Missourians’ personally identifiable information, and Missourians deserve to know whether their information is at risk. No stone will be left unturned in this investigation.”
The Attorney General’s Office became aware of the breach following public reports that alleged the cybercriminal group USDoD had infiltrated National Public Data’s network. The group reportedly exfiltrated unencrypted data belonging to 2.9 billion individuals and offered the database for sale at a price of $3.5 million.
This investigation is part of a broader effort by Attorney General Bailey to protect the personal information of Missouri consumers. Previously, his office has taken legal action against several entities, including tax preparation companies accused of leaking taxpayer information to Big Tech firms. Additionally, successful actions have been brought against large corporations such as Experian, T-Mobile, and Blackbaud, a cloud computing provider, for failing to secure consumer data.
