First Financial Merchant Services, LLC

On May 1, 2019, First Financial Merchant Services, LLC suffered a data breach due to unauthorized access to a legacy computer system. The incident exposed sensitive payment information of approximately one individual, including names and credit/debit card numbers. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in legacy systems, which often lack modern security controls, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. While the scale of affected individuals appears minimal (only one person), the exposure of financial data such as card numbers poses risks of fraud, identity theft, or unauthorized transactions. Such incidents can erode customer trust, lead to regulatory scrutiny, and incur financial penalties, particularly under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The company likely faced reputational damage, as payment card breaches are closely monitored by both consumers and regulatory bodies. Though the immediate impact was limited in scope, the nature of the compromised data (financial records) elevates the severity, as such information is highly valuable on underground markets. The breach underscores the need for organizations to decommission outdated systems, enforce access controls, and implement continuous monitoring to prevent similar incidents.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-551823

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/firstmcs

"id": "fir020091825",
"linkid": "firstmcs",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "5/2019",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '1',
                        'industry': 'Financial Services / Payment Processing',
                        'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'First Financial Merchant Services, LLC',
                        'type': 'Private Company'}],
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '1',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
                                                         'credit or debit card '
                                                         'numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
                                              'Information (PII)',
                                              'Payment Card Data']},
 'date_detected': '2019-05-01',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported that '
                'First Financial Merchant Services, LLC experienced a data '
                'breach on May 1, 2019, involving unauthorized access to a '
                'legacy computer system. Approximately 1 individual was '
                'affected, and the compromised information included names and '
                'credit or debit card numbers.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['names', 'credit or debit card numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (credit/debit card numbers exposed)',
            'payment_information_risk': 'High (credit/debit card numbers '
                                        'exposed)',
            'systems_affected': ['legacy computer system']},
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Unauthorized access to legacy '
                                            'computer system']},
 'references': [{'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': ['Potential violation of '
                                                    'California Consumer '
                                                    'Privacy Act (CCPA) or '
                                                    'other state/federal data '
                                                    'protection laws'],
                           'regulatory_notifications': ['California Office of '
                                                        'the Attorney '
                                                        'General']},
 'title': 'First Financial Merchant Services Data Breach (2019)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}