Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS), a debt collection agency, has announced a significant data breach affecting roughly 2 million individuals. The breach was first discovered on February 26, 2024, when the company detected unauthorized access to certain systems within its network. This incident prompted an immediate response from FBCS, which included securing the affected systems and initiating an in-depth investigation with the help of third-party computer forensics experts to ascertain the full scope and nature of the breach.
During their investigation, FBCS found that the unauthorized access occurred over a period from February 14 to February 26, 2024. It was determined that sensitive information including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and account details had been accessed or viewed. Although the information was compromised, FBCS has reported no evidence of misuse of the data involved in the incident so far.
In response to the breach, FBCS began notifying affected individuals last week, a process assisted by the client organizations whose data was compromised. The notifications started shortly after the affected clients were informed of the breach on April 4. To help mitigate the potential impact of the breach on affected individuals, FBCS is offering 12 months of free credit monitoring services to help protect their identities and monitor their credit for signs of fraud.
The incident has been reported to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, with FBCS disclosing that 1,955,385 individuals might have been impacted by this security lapse. The breach underscores the critical need for stringent security measures within organizations handling sensitive personal data, particularly in industries like debt collection where large volumes of personal information are processed regularly. FBCS is continuing to work with cybersecurity experts to strengthen their systems against future attacks and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.
