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On February 7, 2024, in a report filed to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Verizon Communications Inc., also known as Verizon, announced their company suffered from an internal data breach. According to the report, the breach occurred on September 21, 2023, when a Verizon employee gained unauthorized access to a file containing sensitive employee information. The media company first discovered nearly three months after it occurred, on December 12, 2023, and after some investigation, it determined the breached files contained the sensitive information of 63,206 employees.
Since the breach, Verizon says it is actively working on strengthening and improving its technical controls/internal security in order to prevent similar data breaches from occurring again in the future. Verizon has stated the current breach does not appear to impact customer information. However, in a letter sent to the affected parties, the company explained that the data that was exposed would vary per employee. According to the notice, employees affected by the breach may have had one or more of the following forms of sensitive information exposed:
- Full name
- Physical address
- Social Security number
- National ID
- Gender
- Union affiliation
- Date of birth
- Compensation information
According to a Verizon spokesperson, Rich Young, the company is continuing to review the situation as new information unfolds. Young says the company has not referred this incident to law enforcement, as they do not believe there was any indication of malicious intent, as well as do not believe the information was shared externally.
Out of precaution, Verizon has taken it upon itself to offer those affected by the breach free identity protection and credit monitoring services provided by Allstate Identity. The services will allow their employees to protect their identity and credit information, as well as allow them to see their personal data for two years. In the event fraud occurs, victims will be able to obtain full-service restoration and up to $1 million in reimbursement for stolen funds and expenses. Affected employees will find instructions on how to enroll in the notice, as well as other guided resources on further steps in identity protection.
Before this attack, Verizon seemingly ventured unscathed regarding cybersecurity incidents, the most recent having been announced back in October 2022 after hackers attempted to hack customer accounts through SIM swaps. While Verizon was able to block the activity and reverse unauthorized changes, their customer's sensitive information, such as partial credit card data, names, telephone numbers, billing addresses, and other service-related info, was still exposed.
How You Can Protect Your Private Data After a Breach
In the event that you have had your personal information accessed due to a data breach, it is important you stay on top of your data to ensure no fraudulent activity is taking place. Certain credit unions like Equifax, Experian, and Transunion offer free yearly credit checks. For more frequent credit monitoring, companies like Credit Karma offer customers free daily access to their credit reports and suspicious activity alerts, as well as other financial protective services. Should you discover any fraudulent activity on your accounts, contact the Federal Trade Commission, your state's Attorney General's office, or law enforcement to report the incident.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, victims of fraud have the right to be informed if the information in their credit file has been used against them. Speaking to a data breach attorney can also help you learn more about what options you have after your information has been compromised due to a data breach. Interested in learning more about data breaches and how you can protect your personal information? Click here or head to the FTC's website at www.identitytheft.gov.
Verizon Communications Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate that provides cable TV, telecommunications, and internet services to over 150 million subscribers across the U.S. Headquartered in Manhattan, New York, Verizon employs more than 117,000 workers and has an annual revenue of 136.8 billion (2022).
If you are a Verizon employee or customer who has been affected by either data breach, you may still be eligible to file a claim. For more information, contact a Morgan & Morgan data breach attorney today by completing our quick, no-risk quiz.