CalSTRS Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 14, 2024
In a data security incident involving CalSTRS and their vendor PBI Research Services in June 2023, unauthorized access to certain files containing information occurred. The breach did not compromise the secure network, and no financial information was affected. CalSTRS responded with an investigation, enhanced security measures, and offered affected individuals two years of free credit monitoring. The specific month and year of the breach are not mentioned in the provided sources.
How many accounts were compromised?
The data breach impacted over 415,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and zip codes of the affected CalSTRS members and beneficiaries.
How was CalSTRS hacked?
An unauthorized party exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer application hosted by PBI Research Services, a vendor for CalSTRS, gaining access to files containing sensitive member information. The exact method used by the attackers to exploit the vulnerability remains unclear.
CalSTRS's solution
In response to the data breach, CalSTRS initiated an investigation and worked to identify the affected members and beneficiaries. They also began reviewing their relationship with PBI Research Services and implementing enhanced security measures for the data shared with them. CalSTRS offered two years of free credit monitoring to the affected members, which included daily credit reports, monitoring of credit files, identity restoration services, and additional services. Although the word "hack" is not explicitly mentioned, these actions demonstrate CalSTRS' commitment to securing their platform and preventing future incidents. The exact number of compromised accounts remains unclear.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is not mentioned in the provided sources whether CalSTRS reached out to affected users. If you are a CalSTRS member and want to check if your credentials were affected, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your email address.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or service provider.
For more specific help and instructions related to CalSTRS's data breach, please contact CalSTRS support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the CalSTRS data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
CalSTRS Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 14, 2024
In a data security incident involving CalSTRS and their vendor PBI Research Services in June 2023, unauthorized access to certain files containing information occurred. The breach did not compromise the secure network, and no financial information was affected. CalSTRS responded with an investigation, enhanced security measures, and offered affected individuals two years of free credit monitoring. The specific month and year of the breach are not mentioned in the provided sources.
How many accounts were compromised?
The data breach impacted over 415,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and zip codes of the affected CalSTRS members and beneficiaries.
How was CalSTRS hacked?
An unauthorized party exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer application hosted by PBI Research Services, a vendor for CalSTRS, gaining access to files containing sensitive member information. The exact method used by the attackers to exploit the vulnerability remains unclear.
CalSTRS's solution
In response to the data breach, CalSTRS initiated an investigation and worked to identify the affected members and beneficiaries. They also began reviewing their relationship with PBI Research Services and implementing enhanced security measures for the data shared with them. CalSTRS offered two years of free credit monitoring to the affected members, which included daily credit reports, monitoring of credit files, identity restoration services, and additional services. Although the word "hack" is not explicitly mentioned, these actions demonstrate CalSTRS' commitment to securing their platform and preventing future incidents. The exact number of compromised accounts remains unclear.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is not mentioned in the provided sources whether CalSTRS reached out to affected users. If you are a CalSTRS member and want to check if your credentials were affected, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your email address.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or service provider.
For more specific help and instructions related to CalSTRS's data breach, please contact CalSTRS support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the CalSTRS data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
CalSTRS Data Breach: What & How It Happened?
Twingate Team
•
Jun 14, 2024
In a data security incident involving CalSTRS and their vendor PBI Research Services in June 2023, unauthorized access to certain files containing information occurred. The breach did not compromise the secure network, and no financial information was affected. CalSTRS responded with an investigation, enhanced security measures, and offered affected individuals two years of free credit monitoring. The specific month and year of the breach are not mentioned in the provided sources.
How many accounts were compromised?
The data breach impacted over 415,000 individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and zip codes of the affected CalSTRS members and beneficiaries.
How was CalSTRS hacked?
An unauthorized party exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer application hosted by PBI Research Services, a vendor for CalSTRS, gaining access to files containing sensitive member information. The exact method used by the attackers to exploit the vulnerability remains unclear.
CalSTRS's solution
In response to the data breach, CalSTRS initiated an investigation and worked to identify the affected members and beneficiaries. They also began reviewing their relationship with PBI Research Services and implementing enhanced security measures for the data shared with them. CalSTRS offered two years of free credit monitoring to the affected members, which included daily credit reports, monitoring of credit files, identity restoration services, and additional services. Although the word "hack" is not explicitly mentioned, these actions demonstrate CalSTRS' commitment to securing their platform and preventing future incidents. The exact number of compromised accounts remains unclear.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is not mentioned in the provided sources whether CalSTRS reached out to affected users. If you are a CalSTRS member and want to check if your credentials were affected, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your email address.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Passwords: Immediately update your passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Make sure the new passwords are strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on any affected accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or service provider.
For more specific help and instructions related to CalSTRS's data breach, please contact CalSTRS support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the CalSTRS data breach, check out the following news articles:
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