U.S. Customs and Border Protection Suffers Malicious Cyberattack

Exploit: Malicious cyberattack
U.S. Customs and Border Protection:Law enforcement agency operating under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security

Risk to Small Business: 1.777 = Severe: A subcontractor violated the department’s policy and transferred copies of license plate and traveler images to their network where they were stolen in a malicious cyberattack. In response, the agency is monitoring the Dark Web for evidence of this data, and they are reevaluating their cybersecurity and privacy standards. Of course, these initiatives are simpler and more palatable when they are done proactively, rather than after an incident occurs. Consequently, the agency will now have to endure increased governmental oversight and media scrutiny.

Individual Risk: 2.428 = Severe: The stolen data included license plate and travel images from certain lanes at a particular border crossing. The agency isn’t providing any more specific information at this time, noting that it processes more than a million border crossings each day. However, they did indicate that no passport or other travel information was compromised in the breach.

Customers Impacted: 422,600
How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: When sensitive personal information is compromised in a data breach, organizations have a responsibility to help those impacted recover from the incident. These responses vary significantly, but they should foundationally include understanding what happens to personal information after its stolen. Personal data can be quickly bought and sold on the Dark Web, so monitoring this environment is a staple of any comprehensive response that can begin restoring the organization’s reputation and protecting those that are affected.

Risk Levels:

1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk

*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.