JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Cyber security specialists believe AI and technological advances have made it easier for hackers to steal information, and it’s best to take precautionary measures.

A recent data breach has affected almost every American and has the potential to cause more damage. The stolen data includes birthdays and social security numbers.

Hackers access and sell information on the black market. Scammers open lines of credit, steal identities and more for financial gain.

John O’Hara, with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Mississippi, said peoples’ information is compromised more than ever thanks to advances in technology.

“A lot of people have gone to these services where they pay for that. Now, a monthly fee to have people monitor their credit,” O’Hara said.

Experts advise people to monitor credit reports and pay attention to bank statements to avoid issues.

“If you receive email or main from Social Security, make sure it is legitimate,” said Dr. Borzoo Bonakdarpour, a Computer Science professor at Michigan State University.

Cybersecurity technology platform Pentester was able to review the data once it became public and create a tool that allows people to search for their information. While the information in the leaked database was not redacted, Pentester has masked personal birth years and Social Security numbers.

The data, which was exposed in an April breach, appears to come from a background check company and could include as many as 2.7 billion personal records.

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