On April 13, 2023, Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC suffered a data breach due to the loss of a Blu-ray disc containing sensitive personal information. The incident exposed the data of 845 individuals, including at least one resident of Idaho, with Social Security Numbers (SSNs) confirmed as compromised. The breach was reported to the Maine Office of the Attorney General, and the company responded by offering identity theft protection services, including one year of credit monitoring, to affected individuals. The exposed data, particularly SSNs, poses a significant risk of identity theft and financial fraud, as such information is highly valuable to cybercriminals. While the breach did not involve a cyber attack, ransomware, or external hacking, the loss of physical media containing unencrypted or improperly secured personal data constitutes a serious security failure. The company’s proactive measures to mitigate risks for victims reflect an acknowledgment of the potential long-term consequences of the exposure, including reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny. The incident highlights the importance of secure data storage and handling procedures, especially for organizations managing highly sensitive employee or customer information.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/battelle-energy-alliance-llc-bea-etc
"id": "bat1015090725",
"linkid": "battelle-energy-alliance-llc-bea-etc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "4/2023",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 845,
'industry': 'Energy / Nuclear Research',
'location': 'Idaho, USA',
'name': 'Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC',
'type': 'Private Company'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Identity theft protection services (1 year of credit '
'monitoring) offered to affected individuals',
'data_breach': {'file_types_exposed': ['Blu-ray disc (physical media)'],
'number_of_records_exposed': 845,
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Social Security '
'Numbers'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Social Security Numbers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)']},
'date_detected': '2023-04-13',
'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported that '
'Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC experienced a data breach on '
'April 13, 2023, due to the loss of a Blu-ray disc containing '
'personal information. The breach potentially affected 845 '
'individuals, including one resident of Idaho, with Social '
'Security Numbers reported as compromised. Identity theft '
'protection services, including one year of credit monitoring, '
'were offered to those affected.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential negative impact due to '
'exposure of sensitive personal data',
'data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (Social Security Numbers '
'compromised)'},
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Loss of physical media (Blu-ray '
'disc) containing sensitive '
'personal information'},
'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Office of the '
'Attorney General']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Reported to the Maine Office of the '
'Attorney General',
'remediation_measures': 'Offered identity theft protection '
'services (1 year of credit monitoring) '
'to affected individuals'},
'title': 'Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC Data Breach (April 2023)',
'type': 'Data Breach (Physical Loss)'}