San Francisco 49ers Breach Affects Almost 21,000

The San Francisco 49ers are the tenth oldest franchise in the National Football League (NFL). Originally founded in San Francisco by Tony Morabito, the 49ers moved to Santa Clara, California, in 2014.

The team has over 3.9 million fans, and as of February 2022, 20,930 of its fans have had their information leaked in a ransomware attack.

How Did the Attack Occur?

The attack was a “network security incident,” 49ers have said. The BlackByte ransomware group has taken responsibility for the leak. They posted the information onto their 'BlackByte Blog' along with a time limit and ransom of 530 million dollars. BlackByte began to leak what they claimed to be stolen 49ers files, with the information of 20,930 people revealed before the leak stopped. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

The accessed information includes the names and social security numbers of the 21,000 individuals. The organization has stated that the hackers may not have actively acquired the stolen data and hopefully only accessed it, but customers have every right to worry. A large variety of crimes and frauds could be committed with social security numbers. With a stolen SSN, the hackers can establish a residence, collect your income or tax refunds, or even set up a phone number in your name. 

How Did The 49ers Admit to the Breach?

The San Francisco 49ers admitted to the breach via notification letters to the affected individuals. It began to send the letters out on September 1st, 2022. Many consumers are upset with the time between the breach and the notifications. If the breach was brought to light in February, how could it have taken so long for the company to alert the affected parties? Easy; the breach wasn't discovered until just before they sent out the notification letters. The franchise had no idea that its customers were being targeted.

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

With the nature of the accessed information, hackers can do many things with the data. With a social security number alone, the hacker could open credit cards, lease cars or houses, or even get a job in the victim's name. With a name, they could do all of this far more seamlessly. If they know your name and social security number, they can access your bank accounts, pension, retirement funds, credit cards, and many other personal information.

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

If you or someone you know has been affected by the breach, there are quite a few steps that you can take to ensure your family's- and your own- safety. There is software that you can download that will tell you if your passwords are compromised if your information is somewhere it shouldn't be, or if your device is unsafe. With today's technology, you can cancel most credit cards remotely as long as you realize they were compromised. Internet safety is important to you and us; we're here to help you stay in the know and remain safe.