Pepsi Bottler Faces Massive Data Breach

As we’ve seen in full color recently, no one is immune to hacks, nor is any person or company above them. Whether it’s a person, a company social media account, entire hospitals full of medical information, or employee details for massive corporations (like this breach), there will almost always be something that a hacker can gain from a breach. The breach of Pepsi Bottling Ventures was lucrative for the hacker, as they accessed large quantities of employee information.

How Did the Attack Occur?

The attack occurred when an unauthorized individual accessed internal IT systems, and these systems gave them access to employee details from across the 18 states the company operates in. The company, which was 2013’s “beverage bottler of the year,” sent letters to the victims as soon as its investigation had concluded.

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

As we stated before, the hack was extremely lucrative for the hacker. They accessed full names, home addresses, state and government IDs and driver’s licenses, financial account information (including pins, access codes, and passwords), social security numbers, ID cards (presumably for the company), digital signatures, passport details, and information related to employee coverages and health insurance. As a result, the hacker is perfectly poised for at least hundreds, if not thousands, of counts of identity theft.

How Did Pepsi Bottling Ventures Admit to the Breach?

Pepsi Bottling Ventures sent letters to the victims, and a data breach notice was sent to the Montana Attorney General’s Office. The notice read, “At this time, we are not aware of any identity theft or fraud involving your personal information, but out of an abundance of caution, we are providing you with an overview of the incident, our ongoing response, and resources available to you right now to protect yourself from any possible consequences.”

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

The hacker has several options. The first of which is an immediate sale. It will quickly get the hacker money in their bank and incriminating details off their hands. The next is a hindered sale. The hacker could wait to sell the information until fewer people have their eyes on the breach. They could also just use the information for themself. Depending on the insurance details, the hacker could steal these people’s identities and commit insurance and tax fraud. The victims of this data breach are at increased risk after this, especially if the information is sold (because then an undetermined number of people have access to their sensitive details).

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

All breaches should be taken seriously; you never know just how dangerous something can be until it’s right in front of you. You and anyone else affected by this breach should file a police report. It may seem pointless, but this could be detrimental in the future. You should also invest in credit, identity, and dark web monitoring. You could also download a device monitoring service to alert you to hacking attempts or malware on your device.