G
olden Entertainment issued a notice of data incident last Friday, letting individuals know of an occurrence which “may affect the privacy” of some personal information.
According to the company, Golden discovered in late January that certain portions of its network were infected with malware, which prompted it to take steps to secure the network. Forensic specialists conducted an investigation, which confirmed an unauthorized actor gained access to a portion of the network and encrypted files around January 24, 2021.
It was also determined that said actor acquired certain documents before the encryption occurred and, given that network locations were accessed without authorization, the gaming company undertook “a lengthy and time-intensive thorough” review of the potentially impacted information in an effort to identify to whom it related.
The review was completed on around August 25, 2021, time at which Golden confirmed the individuals whose information was present. The operator then worked to appropriately provide notification to potentially impacted individuals “as quickly as possible,” according to Golden’s press release.
While the impacted information varied by individual, the investigation determined that the data affected included individual name, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification number, financial account information, debit or credit numbers, and medical treatment or diagnosis information. Golden states it has “no evidence” of actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of the incident.
“Golden takes this incident and the security of personal information very seriously,” said the Nevada-based business in a press release. “Upon discovering the activity, Golden conducted a comprehensive investigation of the event to confirm its nature and scope.”
The gaming operator remarks it has security measures in place “to protect the data on its systems” and continues to assess and update security measures and training to employees to safeguard the privacy and security of information in its care.
“Golden also notified law enforcement of this event and notified regulatory authorities, as required by law,” further said the company. Potentially impacted individuals were contacted via mail, and a notice of the incident was posted on the company’s website.
As an added precaution, Golden Entertainment announced it is offering impacted individuals access to credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Kroll “at no cost.”
Additionally, it encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and monitoring free credit reports for suspicious activity. “Individuals can also enroll to receive the complimentary credit monitoring services offered within the letter,” concluded Golden.
