Massive Data Breach at TransUnion Exposes Information of 4.4 Million People

TransUnion, a major consumer credit reporting agency, recently disclosed a significant data breach that exposed the sensitive personal information of over 4.4 million individuals.

 

TransUnion, one of the three leading credit reporting agencies in the U.S. along with Equifax and Experian, operates across 30 countries, employs 13,000 people, and generates $3 billion in annual revenue.

 

In a data security incident notice filed with the Office of Maine Attorney General, TransUnion said that on July 28, it suffered a data security incident. The breach occurred when an unauthorised threat actor gained access to a vendor platform used by the company to manage customer data.

 

The credit bureau immediately launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the nature and scope of the incident. It also took steps to secure the affected network and notified relevant law enforcement authorities about the incident.

 

“We recently experienced a cyber incident involving a third-party application serving our U.S. consumer support operations. The unauthorised access includes some limited personal information belonging to you,” TransUnion said.

 

The compromised data included names and other personal identifiers, including Social Security Numbers. The filing with the Maine state regulator’s office also states that the credit bureau has identified at least 4,461,511 individuals affected by the incident.

 

“The information was limited to specific data elements and did not include credit reports or core credit Information,” the company added.

 

TransUnion 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 Cyberscout to all affected individuals.