DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

One year after data theft, Primedia (RentPath) employees and applicants notified of breach

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Dissent

I could have sworn I had posted something about the Primedia (formerly RentPath) breach, but maybe I just tweeted it and forgot to blog it. Thankfully, Jeff Goldman of eSecurity Planet provided a preliminary media report in June.  This blog post incorporates an update to the incident.

Back in May, attorneys for Primedia notified at least several states about a breach that occurred when an independent contractor working in Primedia’s network operations was caught on tape stealing hardware on June 20, 2012. Among the stolen hardware was one backup tape containing personal information on employees and applicants.

It took almost a year to recover and analyze data from the 31 backup tapes involved in the theft, and Fishnet Security was hired to assist in the investigation. They ultimately identified 800,000 files where personal information may have been stored. Inspection of those 800,000 files revealed that there were 56,000 Social Security numbers in the files.

By May 2013, Primedia had been able to match 30,000 SSN to current and former employees and applicants and had started notifying them and offering them free credit monitoring and restoration services. The firm was still attempting to identify names and addresses corresponding to the remaining 26,000 SSN so that they could be notified, and had hired Kroll to assist.

In a follow-up letter to New Hampshire dated July 1, attorneys for Primedia reported that after notifying 26,511 in May, subsequent investigation reduced the number of additional notifications required to 9,797. The latter group was notified on June 14, 2013 – a year after the data theft.

The total number affected by this incident appears to 36,308.  As of July, the firm had no reports suggesting that any of the data had been misused.

The breach was reported to Maryland, New Hampshire, (follow-up), Vermont, and California. Other states were likely notified, too, but do not post breach notices online.

In response to the breach, Primedia hardened its security to include encryption on backup tapes,  and also enhanced physical security.

I wonder what the failure to encrypt wound up costing them for forensics, notifications, and free services.

Category: Breach IncidentsBusiness SectorSubcontractorTheftU.S.

Post navigation

← Tri-State Surgical Associates notifies patients of a disclosure breach
Errors by both Sentry Life Insurance and the Department of Labor expose 401k participants’ information online →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon
  • US govt login portal could be one cyberattack away from collapse, say auditors
  • Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Computer Hacking Crimes
  • 100,000 UK taxpayer accounts hit in £47m phishing attack on HMRC

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant
  • US State Dept. says silence or anonymity on social media is suspicious

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.