More than 16K Capital One Customers Exposed in Recent Data Breach
Table of Contents
- By Steven
- Published: Jun 09, 2023
- Last Updated: Jun 09, 2023
Capital One is a large financial corporation and an American bank that offers financing and a range of other financial services to interested customers. The company works with millions of customers throughout the country, and with so much data and so many services, Capital One must rely on partners to deliver its services effectively. Its reliance on third-party companies is what caused the company to suffer from a substantial data breach that put more than 16,779 customers at risk.
How Did the Attack Occur?
The Capital One data breach was possible because the company relies on NCB Management Services Inc. This company had some security vulnerabilities in its offerings, and it was breached by one or more attackers. During that breach, Capital One customers were exposed. The breach first occurred on February 1, 2023, though NCB didn't notice anything was amiss until February 4. While in the company's files, the hackers were able to gather a substantial amount of personal data, some of which could be harmful to the impacted individuals.
What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?
A mix of data was taken from Capital One customers during this data breach. Significant details, such as Social Security numbers and account numbers, and account status information, were taken from individuals. Less intrusive information, such as a home address and full name, was also gathered in this breach. Some of this information could be used for an attack on individuals, and the release of this data could be a serious safety risk for some of the individuals involved.
How Did Capital One Admit to the Breach?
Capital One filed an official notice with the Maine Attorney General's office uncovering the details of the data breach. The notice went out on May 26, 2023, and at that time, the company also sent individual notices to everyone with exposed information. If you receive a notice about this breach from Capital One or NCB Management Services, some or all of the data listed above is available to the attackers that gathered information from the company.
What Will Become of the Stolen Information?
We have no information about what the attackers are doing with the Capital One customer information specifically, but we suspect the data will be used in a series of attacks and may be sold or traded as well. Each of these tactics is used to earn money from the data taken. It's also possible the hackers will use the information to launch phishing attacks on individuals in an attempt to gain login information and other sensitive details from some of the victims.
What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?
If you are one of the affected parties in this Capital One data breach, you should consider putting a freeze on your credit because the attackers may have your Social Security number. You should also closely monitor your Capital One bank account for any strange changes. You should also take care to avoid giving away sensitive information to anyone you don't know via text message or email. If you follow these best practices, you should be able to avoid many of the potential risks that come from having data exposed in a breach.