Conduent is a company that few people have heard of. You don’t purchase their phones, subscribe to their social media, or watch their streaming service. But there is a very good chance they know all about you. Conduent is a business process services company — essentially, a gigantic engine room that processes data for other large companies and governments. When a company like this is hit, it’s not merely a leak; it’s a dam breaking. Now, security researchers have confirmed that a previously reported leak has also escalated dramatically in severity, with the number of allegedly compromised records soaring from an earlier projection of 10 million to an astonishing 25 million.
Anatomy of the Data Disaster
It’s not just about email addresses. And the data at issue here is the “crown jewel” of identity theft: Social Security numbers, full names, dates of birth, and sensitive account login information.
Consider Conduent, a giant digital file cabinet containing the overflow paper of hundreds of other companies. When hackers broke this cabinet, they didn’t just steal Conduent’s data — in effect, they stole the data of all of Conduent’s clients. Which is why you may get a breach notification letter from a company you do recognize, citing a vendor you don’t. It’s a supply-chain attack targeting the infrastructure rather than the storefront.
From Bad to Catastrophic
The leap to 25 million records alters the cleanup calculus. And it suggests the attackers had deeper access — or dwell time (the amount of time they spent inside the system undiscovered) — than previously realized. They had the ability to scrub databases for months.
This breach affects various industries, spanning healthcare, transportation, and payment systems. Stolen credentials are especially potent because humans notoriously reuse passwords. A login pilfered from this breach could serve as the skeleton key that unlocks a victim’s bank account or email, setting off a cascade of digital destruction.
What Can You Do?
In the wake of a breach this large, passivity proves dangerous. If you are among the 25 million, your digital identity is now for sale on the dark web. Well, the usual advice isn’t cutting it anymore. You can’t just change your passwords; you have to freeze your credit at all three major bureaus.” That is the only way to prevent criminals from opening loans in your name with that stolen Social Security number. This is a grim reminder of the fundamental truth of the digital economy: Your data is likely held by companies you never worked with, and when they fail to keep it secure, the nightmare is yours alone.
