Hi BlackCloak Client,

A data leak may affect more than 100 million people, and those who have a device running macOS Sequoia will want to learn more about issues involving the latest update released by Apple.

MC2 Data Leak Affects More Than 100M People

Researchers found an exposed database belonging to the background check firm MC2 Data. The database contained more than 106 million records containing private information belonging to U.S. citizens. More than 100 million people may be affected by this breach.

BlackCloak has reported on several data breaches over the past year that have included large data sets, including the National Public Data breach that took place earlier this year. These incidents don't just include one data point that could place people at risk, such as an exposed password, but several. And the more personal data bad actors have at their disposal, the more damage they may be able to do. 

Bad actors can use these comprehensive data sets to conduct identity fraud against victims, which is why it's important to take action as soon as possible.

What Information Was Exposed?

Compromised information included names, email addresses, IP addresses, encrypted passwords, partial payment data, phone numbers, property and legal records.

What Should I Do?

• Consider placing credit freezes and fraud alerts on your accounts with the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The BlackCloak application can guide you to the webpages that will help facilitate these requests. Given the amount of data exposed, bad actors could leverage the information to conduct identity theft.
• Monitor your accounts for fraudulent activity. If you spot any suspicious activity in your financial accounts, take the proper steps necessary as soon as possible, whether it's contacting the financial institution to combat fraudulent charges, or canceling your payment card and getting a new one.
• Be on the lookout for phishing messages. While phishing emails are the most common variation of this cyberattack, bad actors can also send phishing messages through SMS text messages, a tactic known as "smishing."
• Even though the passwords exposed in the leak were encrypted, now is as good a time as ever to update any passwords you may have, and consider storing them in a password vault. Be sure all of your passwords are unique and complex. Some BlackCloak plans include a subscription to the password vault, 1Password. If you are unsure whether you have 1Password included in your plan and would like to learn more, please contact the BlackCloak Concierge team.