San Francisco 49ers 49ers.com San Francisco 49ers data breach: what happened and what to do
A ransomware attack on the San Francisco 49ers in February 2022 exposed the names and Social Security numbers of 20,930 people, according to the team's filing with the Maine Attorney General. Letters went out from September 1, 2022.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 6 Feb 2022
- Made public
- 1 Sept 2022
- Affected
- 20,930
- Data exposed
- Names, Social security numbers
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
The San Francisco 49ers were hit by a ransomware attack in early February 2022. According to the team's filing with the Maine Attorney General, an attacker had access to files on its network between February 6 and February 11, 2022. The BlackByte ransomware group claimed the attack and began posting files it said came from the team's network around February 12.
The team finished reviewing the affected files on August 9, 2022 and began mailing notification letters on September 1, 2022. The breach also appears on the California Attorney General's list of reported breaches.
Sources checked: therecord.media, bleepingcomputer.com, securitymagazine.com
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
The filing says 20,930 names and matching Social Security numbers were accessed. News coverage of the filing does not mention passwords, card numbers or medical records.
A name plus a Social Security number is the combination criminals need to open credit accounts, file fake tax returns or apply for loans in someone else's name. That kind of misuse can show up months or years after a breach, so a quiet first few weeks doesn't mean you're in the clear.
The team's response
The 49ers told affected people it had notified law enforcement. It offered a free one-year membership in credit monitoring and identity theft protection through Experian. Three class action lawsuits over the breach were later consolidated and settled, according to news reports.
What to do now
If you got a letter, enroll in the credit monitoring it offers, then freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The FTC explains how a freeze works and says it's free. Watch your statements and credit reports for accounts you don't recognize, and report any misuse at IdentityTheft.gov.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit
A Social Security number was exposed, so place a free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The FTC explains how credit freezes work.
- 2
Take the free credit monitoring if you got a letter
The team offered one year of Experian credit monitoring and identity theft protection to affected people. Use the enrollment details in your letter.
- 3
Watch your statements and credit reports
Look for accounts, loans or charges you don't recognize, and check your reports at annualcreditreport.com.
- 4
Report misuse
If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.
- 5
Check whether you're in other breaches
Run a free Serus scan to see whether your email or phone number shows up in this or other breaches.
Official filings
- California Attorney General , filed 1 Sept 2022
Timeline
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The breach happened
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The company made it public
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Reported to the California Attorney General
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the 49ers data breach?
The team mailed letters starting September 1, 2022 to the 20,930 people whose information was accessed. If you didn't get one, you're probably not in that group.
What was exposed in the 49ers breach?
Names and Social Security numbers, according to the team's filing with the Maine Attorney General.
Is there a settlement?
News reports say the class action lawsuits over the breach were consolidated and settled. Check the settlement notice for claim details.
Do I need to change my password?
Reports on the breach don't say passwords were exposed. The main risk is identity theft, so a credit freeze matters more.
Sources
- therecord.media/more-than-20000-ssns-stolen-during-ransomware-attack-on-san-francisco-49ers
- bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/san-francisco-49ers-blackbyte-ransomware-gang-stole-info-of-20k-people/
- securitymagazine.com/articles/98292-san-francisco-49ers-data-breach-affects-20k-individuals
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-and-fraud-alerts
- identitytheft.gov/databreach
- oag.ca.gov/privacy/databreach/list
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
