Credit Bureau TransUnion Hit With Data Breach Affecting 4.4 Million People

Major credit bureau TransUnion has suffered a data breach that exposed sensitive information belonging to 4.4 million customers, including names and Social Security numbers. 

The data breach took place on July 28. A TransUnion spokesperson told CNET that the incident was identified and contained within hours. The credit bureau is notifying people who may have been affected that their information could be exposed and sharing the actions the company is taking. 

Consumer rights law firm Wolf Haldenstein issued an alert on the breach and encouraged those who have received a notice and spot unusual activity on their credit report to reach out. 

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Two separate state filings shed more details on the situation. A court filing in Maine shows that TransUnion acknowledged unauthorized access from a third-party application that stored personal customer data. While the notice to consumers says that no credit information was accessed, “limited personal information” was exposed. However, another filing from Texas states that names of individuals, Social Security numbers, and birthdates were exposed in the breach. 

The TransUnion spokesperson further clarified that the breach involved a third-party application serving its U.S. consumer support operations, but did not include its core credit database or credit reports. The bureau has engaged third party cybersecurity experts for an independent forensics review.  

Even if you haven’t received a notice, if you’ve experienced unusual activity on your credit report, you can always freeze your credit for free, enable two-factor authentication or add a security key to your accounts.