We all know and love those funny Capital One Bank commercials starring Samuel L. Jackson and his always on-point comedic timing. However, the latest news coming from the popular banking company is no laughing matter; a security breach was recently discovered that left millions of users’ information exposed in the U.S.A. and Canada.
Wow. Capital One discloses massive data breach: 100M in US, 6M in Canada. One person in FBI custody. Credit files, applications, the lot. Hard to see this as anything other than Equifax 2.0. https://t.co/3nHG96nyle pic.twitter.com/3GQwp6qOH0
— Zack Whittaker (@zackwhittaker) July 29, 2019
Discovered by Capital One on July 19, the hack reportedly took place on both March 22 and March 23, putting approximately 100 million Americans and six million Canadians at risk for data exposure. The Washington Post reports that thousands of Social Security and bank account numbers were taken, with FBI arresting a Seattle area woman named Paige A. Thompson on charges of computer fraud and abuse. It’s already being reported as one of the largest data breaches to ever hit a financial services firm, with people already comparing it to the 2017 Equifax ordeal (seen above) which saw 147 million people have their personal information stolen. That case just reached a $700 million USD settlement with U.S. regulators, according to TWP. This time around, the hack is expected to cost Capital One between $100 million USD and $150 million USD in the near term, as stated in the company’s official press release. They’ve also confirmed that no credit card numbers or log-in credentials were collected, plus majority of Social Security numbers were also not affected.
Here’s where Paige A. Thompson’s involvement comes into play, via The Washington Post:
“Thompson, who authorities say used the name “erratic” in online conversations, is suspected of “exfiltrating and stealing information, including credit card applications and other documents, from Capital One,” according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. She was ordered to remain in jail pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, according to court records.”
Court papers confirmed that Thompson worked at an unidentified cloud computing company in the past that provided data services to Capital One.
If you think your account may have been affected, head over to Capital One’s website to read the full statement.
