Hackers targeted an American consulting firm, Greylock McKinnon Associates (GMA), and stole sensitive data, including hundreds of thousands of Social Security Numbers (SSNs). The breach affected 341,650 individuals across the United States. GMA recently filed a report with the Office of the Maine Attorney General and sent breach notification emails to the victims. The stolen information included people’s names, birth dates, addresses, and Medicare Health Insurance Claim Numbers, along with associated SSNs. Additionally, some medical and/or health insurance information was also compromised. Although the attack occurred almost a year ago, GMA only recently concluded its investigation and notified the affected individuals.

What will the hackers do with this data?
When hackers get their hands on stolen Social Security Numbers (SSNs), they can exploit them in various ways:

1. Identity Theft: Your SSN can be used to open fraudulent credit card accounts, divert or fraudulently collect benefits, and commit workplace fraud. Combining it with other personal information (such as your name, birth date, and email address) makes it easier for someone to impersonate you.
2. Financial Fraud: Armed with your SSN, hackers could access your bank accounts. They might pose as you to customer support, perform fraudulent transactions, transfer funds, or even drain your accounts.
3. Dark Web Trade: Stolen SSNs are valuable commodities on the dark web, where cybercriminals buy and sell consumer data. The market for such information is significant.
4. Medical Fraud: By combining SSNs with other health-related data, hackers can attempt to steal your tax refunds, social benefits, or medical coverage.