A large amount of sensitive data – that of 100,000 current and former employees – was exposed in a massive data breach at California Pizza Kitchen, which operates a chain of restaurants nationwide.
According to a report on Threatpost.com, the breach exposed the names and Social Security numbers of more than 100,000 current and former employees.
Details of the Data Breach
The external system breach occurred on Sept. 15 at the popular U.S. pizza chain and affected nearly 103,767 people, according to the Data Breach Notification posted on the website of the Maine Attorney General. CPK, which was originally founded in Beverly Hills in 1985, has more than 250 locations across 32 states. CPK discovered suspicious activity in its system on or about Sept. 15 and investigated the issue with third-party IT specialists, the notice stated.
On Oct. 4, investigators confirmed that certain files of CPK’s systems could have been accessed without authorization. By the end of the initial review on Oct. 13, it was clear that the breach had delivered attackers the names of former and current employees in combination with their Social Security numbers, the company said.
CPK provided written notice to all affected individuals about the breach on Nov. 15. As of now, there is no indication that the information accessed has been abused by cybercriminals, the company said. There have been no specifics about what type of breach occurred or how the hackers infiltrated the system.
What Steps Can You Take?
As more and more systems get computerized, data breaches have become fairly common. However, they should not be common. Companies are required to take every step possible to protect the valuable information of their employees, customers, and others who entrust such information to them believing that it will be safe.
If you believe your information has been compromised in a data breach, here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Check with the website of the company or agency that was breached for the latest information.
- Consider putting a credit freeze or fraud alert on your credit reports with the three major credit-reporting agencies. This will prevent anyone from accessing your credit report or scores. This means you cannot apply for new credit without lifting the freeze.
- Be sure to monitor your credit cards, statements, and bank accounts for any unauthorized activity.
- Be wary of scammers who may pose as a retailer, bank, or credit card company. Phishing emails may attempt to fool you into providing your personal information. Do not fall into the trap.
If you have suffered losses as a result of the data breach, contact an experienced California class action lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.
Source: https://threatpost.com/california-pizza-kitchen-employee-ssns-data-breach/176478/
