Massive 344k Record Data Breach Following Credential Stuffing in Texas

Deli Management, Inc. does business as Jason’s Deli. It is an organization with over 250 deli shops located in 28 states. Since 1976, Jason’s Deli has been a popular solution for sandwiches and soups in the south and mid-eastern US. They offer various options for individuals and catering, including a rewards program called “Deli Dollars” and a website from which users can create an account and order food. Jason’s Deli is a favorite of Texans and southern residents of the US, making their recent cyber incident soberly alarming. 

How Did the Attack Occur? 

Jason’s Deli is not at fault in this breach; the incident was not reflective of their security systems or an employee error like misconfigured permissions. Instead, Jason’s Deli has been a victim of credential stuffing. Credential stuffing occurs when cybercriminals first breach an organization and steal data like usernames and passwords. Criminals use these stolen credentials to break into accounts with the same information. In other words, the unauthorized actors broke into a different organization and then used the data from that event to compromise Jason’s Deli accounts. The criminals made the attack possible by account holders using the same credentials rather than unique passwords and usernames. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen? 

The accounts breached in this event had significant exposures, primarily due to Jason’s Deli retaining some information about their customers. The data stolen in this event belongs primarily to Deli Dollar members and those with Jason’s Deli online accounts. For this reason, the stolen data differs between individuals but may include users’ names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, order history, contact lists, house account numbers, Deli Dollar points, available account balances, and banked rewards, and the last four of credit/debit cards if used as payment (and associated security codes and PINs). These stolen data elements can cause havoc in the lives of victims, setting them up for identity and financial fraud.

How Did Jason’s Deli Admit to the Breach? 

According to the Maine Attorney General’s breach filing, the event happened around December 21st, 2023. Whether the attack happened that day or in the weeks leading up to that date is unclear. Upon learning of the event, officials launched a response to the threat, including investigations and system reviews. Investigations are ongoing, yet Jason’s officials have begun sending preliminary notices to those impacted. They began sending notices around January 19th, 2024.

What Will Become of the Stolen Information? 

Victims of this event may face consequences from the exposures; the criminals could use the data to commit financial or identity theft or use it to breach even more organizations. The Maine filing suggests an impact figure of 344,034 individuals, with at least 110,177 people in Texas. This number may increase, especially if the assailants further misuse the data. However, thanks to Jason’s immediate response to the threat, victims can protect themselves before their data is misused. 

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach? 

Cybercriminals caused this breach by taking advantage of users’ inclinations. Whenever they created their account, they used a username and password they knew; this allowed the criminals access to all accounts with the same information. Thus, users must first secure their Jason’s Deli online accounts (if applicable) with strong, unique passwords. If the user also uses the same password and username for other accounts, they must be updated or altered, and users must monitor the account itself closely for suspicious activity.