Buyers Protection Group

The California Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach involving Buyers Protection Group on July 19, 2015, caused by the theft of a company laptop. The incident exposed sensitive personal information, including names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of affected individuals. The breach was formally reported on August 20, 2015, following an internal investigation. The stolen laptop contained unencrypted data, heightening the risk of identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious exploitation of the compromised records. While the exact number of impacted individuals was not specified in the report, the nature of the exposed data particularly Social Security numbers poses a significant long-term threat to those affected. The breach underscores vulnerabilities in the company’s data security protocols, particularly regarding the protection of portable devices containing sensitive information. No evidence was provided to suggest the data was actively misused post-theft, but the potential for harm remains substantial due to the sensitivity of the leaked information. The incident serves as a reminder of the critical need for robust encryption, access controls, and incident response measures to mitigate risks associated with physical device theft.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-57473

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/buyers-protection-group

"id": "buy724082025",
"linkid": "buyers-protection-group",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "7/2015",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'Buyers Protection Group',
                        'type': 'Organization'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Physical Theft (Laptop)',
 'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
                                                         'addresses',
                                                         'dates of birth',
                                                         'social security '
                                                         'numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
                                              'Information (PII)']},
 'date_detected': '2015-07-19',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2015-08-20',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported that '
                'Buyers Protection Group experienced a data breach on July 19, '
                '2015, due to a laptop theft affecting potentially sensitive '
                'information including names, addresses, dates of birth, and '
                'social security numbers.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['names',
                                 'addresses',
                                 'dates of birth',
                                 'social security numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PII exposed)',
            'systems_affected': ['Laptop']},
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Physical theft of unsecured laptop '
                                           'containing sensitive data'},
 'references': [{'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Reported to California '
                                                       'Office of the Attorney '
                                                       'General'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public disclosure via California '
                                        'Office of the Attorney General'},
 'title': 'Buyers Protection Group Data Breach (2015)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}