CWGS Suffers Data Breach That Could Affect Thousands

CWGS Group, the holding company that owns Camping World and Good Sam Club, announced a data breach on November 7, 2022. The breach has limited information available, which strikes many as odd; the investigation had been going on for months before CWGS sent the notifications. How is there so little to know? Data breaches are fickle things, and you may not always learn everything you hope to or find the precise source. Many breaches occur without the attackers ever being discovered. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

All evidence points to a good, old-fashioned system hack. While most of what we hear about in media and movies pertains to phishing attacks and ransomware, some hackers still enjoy the old way of doing things. As seen in tv shows like Criminal Minds and Scorpion, sometimes all a hacker has to do is run a diagnostic, and they can access and compromise a firewall. In its statement, CWGS remarked, “The investigation determined that an unknown third party accessed our systems from January 14, 2022 to February 13, 2022 and that certain personal information may have been accessed and/or acquired from our systems as a part of the incident.”

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

As with many breaches, the details affected by this breach vary depending on the victim. The stolen information can relate to the following depending on the individual:

• Social security numbers
• Names
• Birthdays
• Government IDs
• Driver’s license numbers
• Electronic and digital signatures
• Credit card numbers
• Debit card numbers
• Tax IDs
• Financial account information
• Usernames
• Passwords

How Did the Group Admit to the Breach?

The companies admitted to the data breach by sending notification letters to the affected individuals. “We value the trust you place in us to protect your privacy, take our responsibility to safeguard your personal information seriously, and apologize for any inconvenience or concern this incident might cause,” it read. The letter outlined parts of the investigation and the steps the company took to combat the breach, hopefully securing its systems to avoid future ones. 

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

Sensitive information like this is very commonly targeted by hackers worldwide. Billions use the internet, meaning that hackers stand to gain billions of dollars from data breaches like this. There are practically endless possibilities for the hacker, selling the details on the dark web being one of them. It would be effortless for the attacker to commit fraud or identity theft with such delicate information.

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

CWGS is offering two years of Equifax Credit Watch Gold to the victims of the breach. There are also several steps that individuals can take to protect themselves, whether they were impacted by the breach or not. Downloading software to scan your device for unauthorized activity or malware. Monitor your credit reports to watch for fraud and mind your emails to protect yourself from phishing attacks (the most common hack method).