Comcast, a major entertainment and telecommunications conglomerate, faced regulatory and financial repercussions after a **third-party vendor data breach** exposed the personal information of approximately **237,000 customers**. The breach occurred at **Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS)**, a now-bankrupt debt-collection vendor that Comcast had engaged until 2022. The incident, disclosed in **August 2024**, involved customer data from Comcast’s internet, TV, and home security services. While Comcast’s own systems remained uncompromised, the FCC imposed a **$1.5 million fine** and mandated stricter vendor oversight under a new compliance plan. The breach raised concerns over **vendor risk management**, particularly as FBCS had already filed for bankruptcy before the exposure was revealed. Comcast denied liability but committed to enhancing cybersecurity policies to prevent future incidents. The financial and reputational fallout contributed to a **3% stock decline** on the day of the announcement, compounding a **38.75% year-over-year loss** in share value.
Source: https://www.tipranks.com/news/comcast-stock-cmcsa-slides-after-fcc-issues-1-5m-data-breach-fine
Comcast cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/comcast
"id": "COM0835508112525",
"linkid": "comcast",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "6/2022",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '237,000',
'industry': ['telecommunications',
'entertainment',
'internet service provider'],
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Comcast (CMCSA)',
'size': 'large (Fortune 50)',
'type': 'public company'},
{'industry': 'debt collection',
'name': 'Financial Business and Consumer Solutions '
'(FBCS)',
'type': 'third-party vendor'}],
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '237,000',
'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'high (personal information)',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'personal information'},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-08',
'description': 'Entertainment giant Comcast (CMCSA) faced regulatory action '
'after a third-party debt-collection vendor, Financial '
'Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS), suffered a data '
'breach in 2024. The breach exposed personal information of '
'approximately 237,000 Comcast customers, including those '
'using internet, TV, and home security services. The FCC '
'imposed a $1.5 million fine on Comcast, citing inadequate '
'oversight of the vendor, which had filed for bankruptcy '
'before the breach was publicly disclosed in August 2024. '
'Comcast denied blame but agreed to a compliance plan with '
'stricter vendor monitoring rules.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'stock price drop (>3% on Monday, '
'38.75% loss over past year)',
'data_compromised': 'personal information of ~237,000 customers',
'financial_loss': {'regulatory_fine': '$1.5 million'},
'identity_theft_risk': 'high (personal information exposed)',
'legal_liabilities': '$1.5 million FCC fine'},
'investigation_status': 'resolved (FCC settlement reached)',
'lessons_learned': 'Importance of rigorous third-party vendor oversight and '
'cybersecurity compliance for customer data protection.',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Implementation of stricter '
'vendor compliance plan',
'Enhanced cybersecurity '
'policies for third-party '
'risk management'],
'root_causes': ['Inadequate oversight of '
'third-party vendor (FBCS)',
"Vendor's bankruptcy potentially "
'compromising data security '
'practices',
'Failure to enforce or verify '
"compliance with Comcast's "
'security standards by the '
'vendor']},
'recommendations': ['Enhance vendor risk assessment protocols',
'Implement continuous monitoring of third-party security '
'practices',
'Strengthen contractual obligations for data protection '
'with vendors',
'Develop incident response plans specifically for '
'third-party breaches'],
'references': [{'source': 'Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'},
{'source': 'TipRanks / Market Analysis'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': '$1.5 million (FCC)',
'legal_actions': 'settlement with FCC including '
'compliance plan',
'regulatory_notifications': 'FCC disclosure (August '
'2024)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'public statement denying blame but '
'committing to improved cybersecurity '
'policies',
'enhanced_monitoring': 'improved cybersecurity policies (vendor '
'monitoring)',
'remediation_measures': 'new compliance plan with stricter '
'vendor oversight rules'},
'title': "Comcast Vendor Data Breach Exposes 237,000 Customers' Personal "
'Information',
'type': ['data breach', 'third-party vendor incident']}