1 billion identity records exposed in ID verification data leak

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. Things like your name, home address, date of birth and even your Social Security number may have been sitting on the open internet. Researchers say an unprotected database tied to IDMerit, a company that claims to help businesses verify identities, exposed roughly 1 billion sensitive records across 26 countries. In the United States alone, more than 203 million records were left unsecured. This involves the exact documents and details companies use to confirm you are really you. If criminals get that kind of information, they'd have everything they need. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you jo