National Board of Certified Counselors, Inc. - Notice of Data Security Event

GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Board for Certified Counselors ("NBCC") today is providing information about a recent event that may impact the privacy of some personal data related to individuals associated with NBCC.

What Happened?  On September 7, 2020, National Board of Certified Counselors, Inc. ("NBCC") became aware of unusual activity on its network.  NBCC conducted an immediate investigation and determined that the network was impacted by malware which prevented access to certain files on the system.  In response, NBCC began working with third-party forensic investigators to investigate the nature and scope of the event and to determine what information may have been impacted by this event and to whom the information relates. NBCC also notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") and is assisting, as needed, in the FBI's investigation.

The investigation determined that the malware was introduced into the system by an unauthorized actor who also accessed and acquired certain files within NBCC's system.  The unauthorized access occurred between August 31, 2020 to September 7, 2020.  

NBCC, with the assistance of the forensic specialists, began a thorough, lengthy, and labor-intensive process to identify sensitive information that may have been contained within impacted files, and to identify the individuals whose information may have been impacted.  This review completed on December 28, 2020.  NBCC then took steps to notify potentially impacted individuals.

What Information Was Involved?  The following information was potentially impacted: name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and credential information.  Importantly, there is no indication that any information was subject to actual or attempted misuse as a result of this event.

What NBCC Is Doing.  Upon discovery of the event, NBCC moved quickly to investigate and respond to the incident, secure its systems, and notify potentially affected individuals.  As part of its ongoing commitment to the privacy of personal information in its care, NBCC reviewed its existing policies and procedures, and is working to implement additional safeguards to further secure its information systems.  NBCC also notified regulatory authorities, as required by law.  NBCC is providing those whose personal information may have been exposed by this incident with access to complimentary credit monitoring services through TransUnion.

NBCC encourages potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review account statements, and to monitor their credit reports and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity. NBCC is providing potentially impacted individuals with contact information for the three major credit reporting agencies, as well as providing advice on how to obtain free credit reports and how to place fraud alerts and security freezes on their credit files.  The relevant contact information is below:

Potentially impacted individuals may also find information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes and the steps they may take to protect their information by contacting the credit bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, www.consumer.gov/idtheft, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), TTY: 1-866-653-4261.law enforcement. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement or the individual's state Attorney General. 

We understand some people may have additional questions concerning this incident.  Individuals can direct questions to our dedicated assistance line by dialing 800-578-4417 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm ET, excluding U.S. holidays. Information about this incident can also be found at nbcc.org.

SOURCE National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.