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What happened in the Epsilon data breach?

What happened in the Epsilon data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2011, Epsilon, an online marketing unit of Alliance Data Systems Corp, experienced a significant data breach affecting numerous banking institutions and retailers, including Citi, Chase, U.S. Bank, Capital One, Barclays Bank of Delaware, and others.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 3 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, which could be used for targeted phishing attacks on affected individuals.

How was Epsilon hacked?

In the Epsilon breach, unauthorized entry into the company's email system led to the theft of names and email addresses of customers from various firms. The breach was discovered when Epsilon detected the unauthorized access on March 30.

Epsilon's solution

In response to the data breach, Epsilon took several measures to enhance security and prevent future incidents. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Epsilon agreed to pay a total of $150 million, with $127.5 million going to compensate victims of the fraudulent schemes that used consumer data sold by Epsilon. Epsilon implemented significant compliance measures designed to safeguard consumers' data and prevent its sale to individuals or entities engaged in fraudulent or deceptive marketing campaigns. The company also established a procedure for consumers to request that their information not be sold to others.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is unclear whether Epsilon reached out to affected users directly. However, if you believe you may have been affected by the Epsilon breach, you can visit HaveIBeenPwned to check if your credentials were compromised.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the affected account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. 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.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the affected account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform.

For more specific help and instructions regarding Epsilon's data breach, please contact Epsilon's support directly through their homepage or by phone at 1 800 309 0505 (for business inquiries).

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Epsilon data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

/

What happened in the Epsilon data breach?

What happened in the Epsilon data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2011, Epsilon, an online marketing unit of Alliance Data Systems Corp, experienced a significant data breach affecting numerous banking institutions and retailers, including Citi, Chase, U.S. Bank, Capital One, Barclays Bank of Delaware, and others.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 3 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, which could be used for targeted phishing attacks on affected individuals.

How was Epsilon hacked?

In the Epsilon breach, unauthorized entry into the company's email system led to the theft of names and email addresses of customers from various firms. The breach was discovered when Epsilon detected the unauthorized access on March 30.

Epsilon's solution

In response to the data breach, Epsilon took several measures to enhance security and prevent future incidents. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Epsilon agreed to pay a total of $150 million, with $127.5 million going to compensate victims of the fraudulent schemes that used consumer data sold by Epsilon. Epsilon implemented significant compliance measures designed to safeguard consumers' data and prevent its sale to individuals or entities engaged in fraudulent or deceptive marketing campaigns. The company also established a procedure for consumers to request that their information not be sold to others.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is unclear whether Epsilon reached out to affected users directly. However, if you believe you may have been affected by the Epsilon breach, you can visit HaveIBeenPwned to check if your credentials were compromised.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the affected account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. 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.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the affected account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform.

For more specific help and instructions regarding Epsilon's data breach, please contact Epsilon's support directly through their homepage or by phone at 1 800 309 0505 (for business inquiries).

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Epsilon data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Epsilon data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2011, Epsilon, an online marketing unit of Alliance Data Systems Corp, experienced a significant data breach affecting numerous banking institutions and retailers, including Citi, Chase, U.S. Bank, Capital One, Barclays Bank of Delaware, and others.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 3 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, which could be used for targeted phishing attacks on affected individuals.

How was Epsilon hacked?

In the Epsilon breach, unauthorized entry into the company's email system led to the theft of names and email addresses of customers from various firms. The breach was discovered when Epsilon detected the unauthorized access on March 30.

Epsilon's solution

In response to the data breach, Epsilon took several measures to enhance security and prevent future incidents. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Epsilon agreed to pay a total of $150 million, with $127.5 million going to compensate victims of the fraudulent schemes that used consumer data sold by Epsilon. Epsilon implemented significant compliance measures designed to safeguard consumers' data and prevent its sale to individuals or entities engaged in fraudulent or deceptive marketing campaigns. The company also established a procedure for consumers to request that their information not be sold to others.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is unclear whether Epsilon reached out to affected users directly. However, if you believe you may have been affected by the Epsilon breach, you can visit HaveIBeenPwned to check if your credentials were compromised.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the affected account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. 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.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the affected account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform.

For more specific help and instructions regarding Epsilon's data breach, please contact Epsilon's support directly through their homepage or by phone at 1 800 309 0505 (for business inquiries).

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Epsilon data breach, check out the following news articles: