The Football Federation, also known as the U.S. Soccer Federation, has been notified about a potential data breach compromising the personal information of its users. On October 29, the organization took action by sending out letters to affected individuals, providing an explanation of the situation and instructions on data protection.
The breach was discovered on May 23, when unauthorized access to an employee’s work mailbox was detected. An investigation revealed that the information had been accessed between May 17 and May 23.
In response to the breach, U.S. Soccer immediately blocked access to the compromised mailbox and engaged cybersecurity experts to conduct a thorough investigation. By August 7, it was determined that the mailbox contained limited data, such as names and social security numbers of fans and employees of the Federation.
Following the investigation, U.S. Soccer began notifying affected users and offered them a complimentary 12-month subscription to a monitoring service to safeguard against potential fraud. The organization also provided recommendations on protecting oneself, including monitoring credit reports for suspicious activity and implementing fraud alerts on credit histories. It also suggested activating credit freezes to prevent unauthorized financial transactions.
Furthermore, U.S. Soccer urged individuals to remain vigilant and monitor all financial transactions closely, while also encouraging them to promptly report any suspicious actions to credit institutions.