Hatch Bank, a leading financial institution in the United States, recently admitted that 140,000 of their customers’ Social Security numbers were obtained by hackers using a bug in Fortra, the company’s online safety program. Fortra is a recently created online platform that provides customers with secure online banking, allowing customers to access their bank accounts and conduct transactions without worrying about their personal data being compromised.
The breach of security was first reported to Hatch Bank on Saturday, March 21st. The hackers used a bug in Fortra’s security software which allowed them to bypass the system’s protections that prevent the entering of unauthorized codes. This enabled the hackers to access the bank’s customer database and steal the personal information of 140,000 Hatch Bank customers.
Upon learning of the breach, Hatch Bank quickly began to investigate the incident and investigate the extent of the data that was compromised. After a thorough investigation of the hack, Hatch Bank concluded that the hackers had access to the Social Security numbers of their customers, however, no financial information or passwords were stolen.
In response to this data breach, Hatch Bank sent out an email to all of their customers, alerting them to the incident and informing them of the necessary steps that need to be taken to protect their identities. All impacted customers have been provided with complimentary identity theft protection services courtesy of Hatch Bank.
Hatch Bank also took steps to rectify the security flaw in Fortra and has notified other banks that use their online safety programs to make sure they are aware of the issue. Hatch Bank also stated that they are continuing to conduct internal investigations and are working with law enforcement to determine who was responsible for the data breach.
In light of the data breach, Hatch Bank is urging all customers to take extra precautions to protect their identities, such as changing passwords and monitoring financial activities. They are also working hard to make sure this kind of security breach never happens again.
It is a sad reality that data breaches are on the rise and it is important that companies take the proper steps to ensure the safety and security of their customer’s personal information. Ultimately, data breaches such as this reaffirm the need for companies to take every security precaution possible when it comes to customer data.