The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach affecting **Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL Inc.)** on **May 26, 2021**, after detecting unauthorized access on **April 25, 2021**. The incident stemmed from an **external system breach (hacking)**, compromising sensitive personal data. A total of **5,994 individuals** were impacted, including **25 Maine residents**. The exposed information included **Social Security numbers (SSNs)**, a high-value target for identity theft and financial fraud. While the breach did not involve ransomware or a full-scale operational disruption, the exposure of SSNs poses long-term risks, such as fraudulent credit applications, tax fraud, and unauthorized access to financial accounts. The breach underscores vulnerabilities in UL Inc.’s cybersecurity defenses, particularly against external threats targeting personally identifiable information (PII). No immediate financial losses or systemic outages were reported, but the reputational damage and potential regulatory scrutiny (e.g., under data protection laws) remain significant concerns. The company likely faced obligations to notify affected individuals and implement remedial measures, such as credit monitoring services.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ulsolutions
"id": "uls007091825",
"linkid": "ulsolutions",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2020",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '5,994 (total), 25 (Maine '
'residents)',
'industry': 'Safety Science / Certification',
'name': 'Underwriters Laboratories Inc.',
'type': 'Organization'},
{'customers_affected': '5,994 (total), 25 (Maine '
'residents)',
'industry': 'Safety Science / Certification',
'name': 'UL Inc.',
'type': 'Organization'}],
'attack_vector': 'Hacking (External System Breach)',
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '5,994',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Social Security '
'numbers'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Social Security numbers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)']},
'date_detected': '2021-04-25',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021-05-26',
'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
'breach involving Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and UL Inc. '
'The breach involved unauthorized access due to an external '
"system breach (hacking), compromising individuals' Social "
'Security numbers.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (SSNs compromised)'},
'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 Office of '
'the Attorney General'},
'title': 'Data Breach at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and UL Inc.',
'type': 'Data Breach'}