Hackers may have stolen your Social Security number: Here are precautions you should take

Although a group of hackers may have stolen the personal records of billions of people, there are ways to combat identity theft and protect your information .

The hacking group USDoD alleged in April that it had breached 2.9 billion people’s information from National Public Data, according to federal court filings in Florida. Bloomberg Law reported the lawsuit, which indicated that social security cards, among other materials, had been exposed to cyber attackers.

National Public Data hasn't confirmed the mass data breach, although emails show it is "aware of certain third-party claims about consumer data and is investigating these issues," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Here are three simple measures U.S. citizens can take to make sure their information is as secure as possible.

Contact one of three major credit bureaus, Experian , Equifax , or TransUnion , to freeze information if you detect any suspicious activity. Doing so prevents hackers from accessing credit cards, making loans, or opening accounts under a false identity. Freezing information can be done easily by phone or online and is free.

Adding two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security for hackers to process. Using an authenticator app will keep you secure even if cyber attackers hack your phone number.

However, two-factor authentication is of little use if you have a weak password. Strengthening security means using hard-to-guess passwords that are different for each site you use. Periodically change passwords to keep hackers on their toes.

Although many people become overwhelmed with remembering complex passwords, there are always free password manager apps to help keep you secure.

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Be careful not to click on text message links or emails from unfamiliar sources. Hackers commonly target vulnerable populations by sending a message with a time-sensitive deadline, which urges the user to click on the link to protect themselves.

Use a free tool from the cybersecurity company Pentester if you want to make sure National Public Data hackers haven’t accessed your data. Additionally, you can take advantage of a service that monitors your accounts .