700Credit data breach exposes SSNs of 5.8M consumers

Data breaches tied to financial services companies are nary longer rare, but they still deed harder erstwhile Social Security Numbers are involved. In nan latest incident, U.S.-based fintech institution 700Credit has confirmed that nan individual information of much than 5.8 cardinal group was exposed. The breach did not originate from a nonstop discuss of 700Credit's soul network, which makes it much concerning. It began pinch a third-party integration partner and softly snowballed complete respective months earlier it was detected. By nan clip nan rumor was contained, hackers had managed to bargain a important magnitude of delicate user data.

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DATA BREACH EXPOSES 400K BANK CUSTOMERS’ INFO

A information breach astatine fintech patient 700Credit exposed nan individual accusation of much than 5.8 cardinal group aft hackers accessed information done a third-party vendor. (Photo by Philip Dulian/picture confederation via Getty Images)

What went incorrect astatine 700Credit

700Credit says the breach traces backmost to July, erstwhile a threat character compromised 1 of its third-party integration partners, arsenic reported by Bleeping Computer. During that intrusion, nan attacker discovered an exposed API that could beryllium utilized to entree customer accusation linked to 700Credit's dealership clients. The integration partner grounded to pass 700Credit astir nan compromise, allowing nan entree to proceed unnoticed.

Suspicious activity was only detected connected October 25, erstwhile 700Credit flagged different behaviour connected its systems and launched an soul investigation. The institution says it brought successful third-party machine forensic specialists to measure nan scope of nan incident and find what information had been affected.

According to nan company's findings, definite records wrong its web exertion were copied without authorization. These records are related to customers of car dealerships that usage 700Credit's services. Managing Director Ken Hill later confirmed that astir 20% of nan user information accessible done nan affected strategy was stolen betwixt May and October.

What information was exposed and why it matters

While 700Credit has not published an exhaustive database of each information section involved, nan institution has confirmed that highly delicate individual accusation was exposed. This includes Social Security Numbers, which importantly raises nan risk of personality theft and financial fraud. When SSNs are compromised, nan effect is long-term. You cannot simply alteration them for illustration a password.

The institution has published a dedicated page connected its website outlining nan breach and nan types of accusation impacted. As portion of its response, 700Credit is offering affected individuals 12 months of free personality protection and in installments monitoring done TransUnion. You person a 90-day model to enroll successful this work aft receiving nan notification.

Notably, audio streaming level SoundCloud and big video sharing level Pornhub besides suffered information breaches tied to third-party vendors. There is nary denotation that nan aforesaid vendor was progressive successful each 3 incidents, but nan cases item really risky third-party entree tin beryllium erstwhile vendors grip delicate user data.

CyberGuy reached retired to 700Credit for comment, but did not person a consequence earlier publication.

PASSWORD MANAGER FINED AFTER MAJOR DATA BREACH

Social Security Numbers were among nan delicate information stolen successful a months-long breach involving 700Credit and an extracurricular integration partner. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

6 steps you tin return to enactment safe aft a information breach

When breaches for illustration this happen, nan harm is not ever immediate. Your information tin beryllium successful underground markets for months earlier it is abused. That is why it helps to fastener things down early. Here are six applicable steps you tin take.

1) Use beardown antivirus software 

A bully antivirus helps artifact malicious downloads, phishing links, and spyware that often travel ample information leaks. Attackers cognize your specifications are exposed and whitethorn effort to target you straight pinch malware-based scams.

The champion measurement to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person beardown antivirus package installed connected each your devices. This protection tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your individual accusation and integer assets safe.

Get my picks for nan champion 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

2) Switch to a password manager

If you are still reusing passwords, this is nan clip to stop. A password head helps you make strong, unsocial passwords for each work and keeps them stored securely. If 1 tract is breached, nan remainder of your accounts enactment protected.

Next, spot if your email has been exposed successful past breaches. Our #1 password head (see Cyberguy.com) prime includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email reside aliases passwords person appeared successful known leaks. If you observe a match, instantly alteration immoderate reused passwords and unafraid those accounts pinch new, unsocial credentials. 

Check retired nan champion expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com

3) Enable two-factor authentication everywhere

Turn on 2FA for email, banking, societal media, and unreality accounts. Even if personification has your password, they cannot log successful without nan 2nd factor. App-based authenticators are much unafraid than SMS, wherever possible.

4) Sign up for personality theft and in installments monitoring

Monitoring services alert you erstwhile caller accounts, loans, aliases in installments checks look successful your name. Early alerts springiness you a chance to enactment earlier superior financial harm is done.

Identity Theft companies tin show individual accusation for illustration your Social Security Number (SSN), telephone number, and email address, and alert you if it is being sold connected nan acheronian web aliases being utilized to unfastened an account. They tin besides assistance you successful freezing your slope and in installments paper accounts to forestall further unauthorized usage by criminals.

See my tips and champion picks connected really to protect yourself from personality theft at Cyberguy.com

PETCO CONFIRMS MAJOR DATA BREACH INVOLVING CUSTOMER DATA

Hackers softly accessed user information tied to car dealerships utilizing 700Credit services earlier nan breach was discovered successful October. (Photo by Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

5) Consider a individual information removal service

Your telephone number, address, and different specifications are often already scattered crossed information agent sites. Data removal services thief trim your integer footprint, making it harder for attackers to floor plan and target you aft a breach.

While nary work tin guarantee nan complete removal of your information from the internet, a information removal work is really a smart choice. They aren't cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do each nan activity for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your individual accusation from hundreds of websites. It's what gives maine bid of mind and has proven to beryllium nan astir effective measurement to erase your individual information from nan internet. By limiting nan accusation available, you trim nan consequence of scammers cross-referencing information from breaches pinch accusation they mightiness find connected nan acheronian web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a free scan to find retired if your individual accusation is already retired connected nan web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find retired if your individual accusation is already retired connected nan web: Cyberguy.com

6) Freeze your in installments if SSNs are exposed

If your Social Security Number is involved, a in installments frost is 1 of nan strongest defenses. It prevents caller in installments accounts from being opened without your support and tin beryllium lifted temporarily erstwhile needed. To study much astir really to do this, spell to Cyberguy.com and search How to frost your credit. 

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Kurt's cardinal takeaway

Third-party APIs and integrations are basal for modern integer services, but they besides grow nan onslaught surface. When third-party partners neglect to disclose breaches quickly, nan downstream effect tin beryllium massive, arsenic this lawsuit shows. If you person a notification from 700Credit, return it seriously. Enroll successful nan in installments monitoring service, reappraisal your in installments reports, and see locking them down. Even if nary fraud has occurred yet, breaches involving SSNs often lead to delayed maltreatment months aliases moreover years later.

Should companies beryllium held accountable erstwhile a third-party vendor exposes customer information? Let america cognize by penning to america at Cyberguy.com

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