Data Security, Breach

Nearly 256K impacted by CFPB data breach

Nearly 256,000 consumer accounts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had their confidential information exposed in a data breach involving a former employee who had sent such data in 14 different emails to their personal email account, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Among the data compromised are two spreadsheets including the names and account numbers belonging to a financial institution, as well as documents with personal details from seven different financial entities' customers, according to the CFPB, which noted that the ex-employee has not yet complied with its request to delete the emails and offer evidence of such deletion. Investigation into the incident is still underway but CFPB said that there has been no evidence suggesting further compromise. Such a breach has been criticized by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as a result of "an egregious lack of oversight by the CFPB" in a letter to CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. Chopra has also been sought by Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., to provide the House Committee on Financial Services a briefing on the bureau's remediation, mitigation, and notification efforts on or before April 25.

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