Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union Hit by Ransomware Attack, Exposing Data of 43,077 Individuals
Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union, a member-owned credit union serving the Savannah, Georgia metro area, disclosed a ransomware attack that compromised the personal data of approximately 43,077 individuals across the U.S. The incident occurred on or around January 25, 2025, when cybercriminals encrypted the organization’s files and demanded payment for their release.
Upon detecting unauthorized activity on February 10, 2025, the credit union secured its systems and engaged a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate. A subsequent review by a data mining vendor confirmed that sensitive information including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, financial account data, health-related information, and passport numbers may have been accessed.
Notifications to affected individuals began on January 15, 2026, nearly a year after the breach was discovered. A filing with the Maine Attorney General on April 17, 2026, revealed that 18 Maine residents were among those impacted.
In response, Georgia Heritage offered 12 months of free credit monitoring through CyEx Financial Shield with Experian Single Bureau Credit Monitoring, along with fraud assistance via HaystackID. Affected individuals received written notices with enrollment details, though verification requirements may limit access. A dedicated call center was established for inquiries.
The breach underscores the prolonged timeline between detection and notification in cybersecurity incidents, as well as the broad range of sensitive data targeted in ransomware attacks.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/data-breach/georgia-heritage-credit-union-2026
Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/georgia-heritage-federal-credit-union
"id": "GEO1776536942",
"linkid": "georgia-heritage-federal-credit-union",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '43,077',
'industry': 'Financial Services',
'location': 'Savannah, Georgia, USA',
'name': 'Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union',
'type': 'Credit Union'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Written notices with enrollment details for credit '
'monitoring and fraud assistance',
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Yes (ransomware encryption)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '43,077',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Names',
'Social Security numbers',
'Driver’s license details',
'Financial account data',
'Health-related information',
'Passport numbers']},
'date_detected': '2025-02-10',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-01-15',
'description': 'Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union disclosed a ransomware '
'attack that compromised the personal data of approximately '
'43,077 individuals across the U.S. The incident involved '
'encryption of files and potential exposure of sensitive '
'information including names, Social Security numbers, '
'driver’s license details, financial account data, '
'health-related information, and passport numbers.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Likely significant',
'data_compromised': "43,077 individuals' personal data",
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'payment_information_risk': 'High'},
'investigation_status': 'Completed',
'lessons_learned': 'Prolonged timeline between detection and notification in '
'cybersecurity incidents; broad range of sensitive data '
'targeted in ransomware attacks.',
'motivation': 'Financial gain',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Offered 12 months of free '
'credit monitoring (CyEx '
'Financial Shield with '
'Experian Single Bureau '
'Credit Monitoring) and '
'fraud assistance '
'(HaystackID)'},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Yes'},
'recommendations': 'Improve detection and response timelines, enhance data '
'protection measures, ensure timely regulatory '
'notifications.',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2026-04-17',
'source': 'Maine Attorney General filing'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Attorney '
'General (filed on '
'2026-04-17)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Written notices to affected '
'individuals, dedicated call center',
'containment_measures': 'Secured systems',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes',
'remediation_measures': 'Engaged third-party cybersecurity firm, '
'offered credit monitoring and fraud '
'assistance',
'third_party_assistance': 'Cybersecurity firm and data mining '
'vendor'},
'title': 'Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union Ransomware Attack',
'type': 'Ransomware'}