Ingram Micro Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Information of Over 40,000 People

Ingram Micro, a U.S.-based distributor of information technology products and services, reported that a data security incident it experienced last year exposed the sensitive personal information of more than 40,000 individuals.

 

Based in Irvine, California, Ingram Micro is a global leader in technology and supply chain services. Serving as a distributor and wholesaler, it connects top tech brands, such as Acer, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Samsung, with businesses worldwide, supporting the distribution and marketing of their products.

 

In a data security incident notice published on its website, on July 5, Ingram Micro said that it was a victim of a  ransomware attack, where threat actors breached its internal network, encrypted critical systems and stole confidential data.

 

The company immediately launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the scope of the incident. Ingram Micro also took steps to secure the affected systems, including proactively taking certain systems offline and notified relevant law enforcement authorities about the same.

 

In a recent filing with the Office of Maine Attorney General, Ingram Micro said the data security incident compromised the sensitive personal data of at least 42,521 individuals. The affected data included names, contact information, dates of birth, government-issued identification numbers including Social Security numbers, driver’s license, passport numbers, and other employment-related information.

 

“Promptly upon detecting the issue, we began taking steps to contain and remediate the unauthorised activity, including proactively taking certain systems offline and implementing other mitigation measures,” the company added.

 

Ingram Micro has advised all affected individuals to regularly monitor their credit reports, account and benefit statements and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities, including the police and the state attorney general. 

 

It has also offered two years of complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services through Experian to all affected individuals.

 

Although the company did not disclose the perpetrators’ identity, the SafePay ransomware group claimed responsibility and listed the company as a victim on its data leak site. The group said it was in possession of 3.5 TB of confidential data and threatened to release the information unless its ransom demands were met.