⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

United States Postal Service Reports Possible Breach The hack may have compromised more than 800,000 employees' personal data, including Social Security numbers.

By Laura Entis

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock

The United States Postal Service is the latest victim in a long list of organizations to have recently experienced a data breach, saying it believes more than 800,000 employees' personal data – including Social Security numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses among other information – may have been compromised, the Washington Post reports.

Customer credit-card data from postal offices or online purchases is said not to be at risk.

The FBI first alerted the USPS of a possible breach back in mid-September. While the organization began dealing with the repercussions of the attack immediately, remediation did not take place until now as "acting too quickly could have caused more data to be compromised," David Partenheimer, a USPS spokesperson, told the Washington Post.

While agency did not say who was behind the breach, the Washington Post speculates that Chinese government hackers may be to blame.

Related: Home Depot Reports Bigger Breach Than Target; Criminals Used Custom Malware

Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.