The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach at College Solutions, occurring between July 28, 2021, and August 9, 2021. Unauthorized actors gained access to employee email accounts, compromising sensitive personal data of 233 individuals, including two Maine residents. The exposed information included names, addresses, and Social Security numbers (SSNs) highly sensitive details that could facilitate identity theft, financial fraud, or targeted phishing attacks. The breach stemmed from a security lapse allowing external access to internal communications, highlighting vulnerabilities in email security protocols and employee credential protection. While the incident did not involve ransomware or a large-scale customer data leak, the exposure of SSNs a critical identifier for financial and governmental verification poses long-term risks for affected individuals. The company likely faced regulatory scrutiny under state data protection laws, given the involvement of Maine residents, and may have incurred costs related to notification, credit monitoring, and potential legal liabilities. The breach underscores the broader threat of credential-based attacks targeting employee accounts, which often serve as gateways to broader organizational data. The compromised data’s nature suggests a focus on internal employee-related information, though the scale remains relatively contained compared to mass customer breaches.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/today's-college-solutions
"id": "tod037091825",
"linkid": "today's-college-solutions",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "7/2021",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '233 individuals (including 2 '
'Maine residents)',
'name': 'College Solutions',
'type': 'Organization'},
{'industry': 'Legal/Regulatory',
'location': 'Maine, USA',
'name': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General',
'type': 'Government Agency'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unauthorized Access (Email Account Compromise)',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (unauthorized access to email '
'accounts)',
'number_of_records_exposed': '233',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
'Addresses',
'Social Security '
'Numbers'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021-11-23',
'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
'breach involving College Solutions. The breach occurred '
'between July 28, 2021, and August 9, 2021, involving '
'unauthorized access to employee email accounts. The '
'compromised information included names, addresses, and Social '
'Security numbers, potentially affecting 233 individuals, '
'including two Maine residents.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Names',
'Addresses',
'Social Security Numbers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PII exposed)',
'systems_affected': ['Employee Email Accounts']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Employee Email Accounts'},
'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Maine Office of the '
'Attorney General'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public disclosure via Maine AG '
'office'},
'title': 'Data Breach at College Solutions Affecting Employee Email Accounts',
'type': 'Data Breach'}