Briar Group confirms it was source behind Seaport data breach By Ashley Troutman
BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- After an investigation, the Briar Group, which runs eight restaurants and bars in the city, learned that their systems were infiltrated causing the data breach that affected hundreds who visited the Seaport area of Boston in November.
Although the investigation remains ongoing, the group is saying that the unauthorized access to card data at their restaurants happened between October and November of 2013.
"We are still working to determine the exact dates and will update this website when we learn more," the group said in a statement posted on their website.
The group also said that there is a chance that your information may not have been stolen, even if you were at one of their restaurants. However, they are suggesting that all of their customers check their credit card statements for fraudulent charges.
"We want to assure you that the Briar Group takes the security of the personal information and bank data of all of our customers seriously. For the past several years, we have been working with data service and security professionals McGladrey to assure that we meet or exceed industry standards in terms of data security. All of our systems are PCI compliant and updated regularly," the group said on their website.
The company said that they are working closely with law enforcement officials to identify the suspect or suspects behind the breach.
They suggest you contact the following agencies for a copy of your credit report:
- Equifax www.equifax.com
- Experian www.experian.com
- TransUnionCorp Fraud Assistance Division www.transunion.com
"We have been looking into reports of compromised data by Seaport visitors and as part of our review, we urged the Briar Group to determine whether they were responsible for the breach in security of consumer credit card data. We continue to work with the Briar Group and will review the findings of its internal investigation now that a breach has been determined in its systems. Data breaches are a serious concern and we expect the Briar Group to assist consumers impacted by this breach," Christopher Loh, spokesperson for the Attorney General, said.