Monster breach hits South Carolina taxpayers
The state of South Carolina is engaged in an "unprecedented response" following a massive breach in which hackers stole 3.6 million Social Security numbers and 387,000 credit and debit card numbers, officials said Friday.
The incident affected the state's Department of Revenue, and any person who filed a South Carolina tax return since 1998 is being asked to monitor their credit reports for potential fraud. The state is providing them with one year of free identity theft protection.
By all accounts, the breach is staggering, considering the state has about 4.5 million residents. That means about 80 percent of the state's inhabitants' Social Security numbers potentially are affected. "The number of records breach requires an unprecedented, large-scale response by the Department of Revenue, the state of South Carolina and all our citizens," Gov. Nikki Haley said in a statement, which includes advice for victims.
