Jerico Pictures faces class action over massive data breach

Jerico Pictures Inc., operating as National Public Data, is facing a class action lawsuit following a significant data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 3 billion individuals. The breach occurred in April and is considered one of the largest ever recorded.

On April 8, a cybercriminal group known as USDoD announced the sale of a database titled “National Public Data” on a dark web forum. The group claimed to possess personal data on 2.9 billion individuals and attempted to sell the database for $3.5 million. This information was highlighted in a complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The National Public Data Service aggregates data by scraping personally identifiable information (PII) from non-public sources. The plaintiff and class members allege that their PII was collected without their knowledge or consent. The compromised data reportedly includes full names, current and past addresses (dating back three decades), Social Security numbers, information about relatives (including deceased individuals), and other sensitive information.

The lawsuit accuses National Public Data of failing to adequately secure and safeguard the collected PII. VX-underground researchers, who reviewed the 277.1GB uncompressed archive, confirmed the authenticity and accuracy of the leaked data. They noted that the database did not include information from individuals who had used data opt-out services but did contain data on deceased persons.

The complaint emphasizes the severity of the breach and the potential risks posed to individuals whose information was exposed. The class action seeks to hold National Public Data accountable for the security lapse and to secure remedies for the affected parties. Jerico Pictures Inc. has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.