Discount Retail Chain Dollar Tree Hit by Data Breach
Picture this: You’re a business owner, and you’ve partnered with a third-party service provider to manage some of your operations. Everything seems to be running smoothly, but then you discover that the service provider has suffered a massive data breach, impacting your employees and customers. This is exactly what happened to Dollar Tree, a well-known discount store chain operating Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores across the United States and Canada.
What Happened in the Data Breach?
Dollar Tree’s service provider, Zeroed-In Technologies, experienced a security incident between August 7 and 8, 2023, affecting nearly 2 million people. According to a data breach notification filed with the Maine Attorney General, the cyberattack resulted in the theft of personal information belonging to Dollar Tree and Family Dollar employees, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers (SSNs).
Although the investigation determined that unauthorized access occurred, it could not confirm the specific files that were accessed or taken by the attackers. As a result, Zeroed-In conducted a review to determine the extent of the information exposed during the incident.
What Actions Are Being Taken?
Zeroed-In has notified the affected individuals and provided instructions for enrolling in a 12-month identity protection and credit monitoring service. We reached out to Dollar Tree for comment on the breach, and they responded with the following statement:
“Zeroed-In is a vendor that we and other companies use. They informed us that they identified a security incident, and they provided notice of the incident to current and former employees.” – Family Dollar spokesperson.
At this time, it’s unclear whether other Zeroed-In customers besides Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have been impacted by the breach. We contacted Zeroed-In for more information but received no response by publication time. The scale of the data breach has already prompted investigations from law firms looking into a potential class-action lawsuit against Zeroed-In.
Don’t Let This Happen to Your Business
As a business owner, it’s essential to understand the risks associated with partnering with third-party service providers and take precautions to ensure your data is protected. The Dollar Tree data breach is a sobering reminder of the potential consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures.
At ZZ Servers, we’re here to help. Our IT Services experts are dedicated to protecting your business from cyber threats and ensuring the security of your data. Don’t wait for a breach to happen to you—reach out to us today and learn how we can help safeguard your business.
