Connecticut, Illinois to investigate massive breach at Experian co.
According to reports, a multistate investigation has been launched, after an Experian subsidiary, Court Ventures, was struck by a breach impacting more than 200 million Americans.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois, and potentially other states, planned to look into a major identity theft case where sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and email addresses of consumers, was exposed to criminals.
In October, security journalist Brian Krebs detailed how Experian indirectly sold consumer data to an ID theft servicerun by a Vietnamese national Hieu Minh Ngo. Court documents revealed that Ngo, posing as a private investigator, paid Court Ventures so he could access sensitive database information available to the firm.
Last month, Ngo pleaded guilty in a federal New Hampshire court to devising the scheme.
According to the Thursday Reuters report, state investigations will likely center on whether credit bureau Experian and other involved companies followed proper data security and breach disclosure laws.
On Friday, Jaclyn Falkowski, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Attorney General's office, confirmed with SCMagazine.com via phone that “Connecticut will be inquiring on the breach,” but that the office had “no further comment,” on the matter.
That day, Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Attorney General's office, told SCMagazine.com that its probe was “part of a multistate investigation.”
“We are investigating based on reports of a data breach involving Experian,” Possley said.
