On July 5, 2023, the National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine following the company’s discovery that an unauthorized party was able to get into an employee’s email account. In this notice, NIHFCU explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, including their names and Social Security numbers. Upon completing its investigation, NIHFCU began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from the National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, Social Security numbers are among the most valuable data for hackers. This is because hackers can fairly easily use a Social Security number to commit identity theft and other frauds. In fact, most of the information hackers would need to steal your identity is publicly available. However, there are steps you can take to reduce these risks. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft as well as discuss your legal options following the NIH Federal Credit Union data breach.

What Caused the NIH Federal Credit Union Breach?

The NIH Federal Credit Union data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, NIHFCU’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, NIHFCU recently learned that an unauthorized party had gained access to an employee’s email account. In response, NIHFCU secured the compromised email account and launched an internal investigation with the assistance of outside cybersecurity experts.

The NIHFCU investigation confirmed that the employee’s email account was accessed by the unauthorized party for a period of a few hours on April 11, 2023. It was later determined that some of the emails and attachments within the email account contained confidential consumer information.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, NIH Federal Credit Union reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name and Social Security number.

On July 5, 2023, NIH Federal Credit Union sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident.

More Information About National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union

Founded in 1940, the National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union is a full-service not-for-profit financial cooperative located in Rockville, Maryland. Originally, NIHFCU membership was limited to federal employees working at the National Institutes of Health. However, over the years, NIHFCU expanded membership opportunities to those who work at one of more than three dozen NIHFCU@Work Partners. Membership is also available to family members of eligible employees. NIH Federal Credit Union employs more than 166 people and generates approximately $17 million in annual revenue.