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KnownCircle

High

KnownCircle saw a breach in April 2016, exposing personal and marketing-related data of nearly 2 million users.

Records exposed
1,957,600 records
Breach date
Breach Apr 12, 2016
Last update
Updated Nov 17, 2018

What data was exposed?

Fields reported as compromised in this breach record.

Email addressesEmail messagesGendersNamesPasswordsPhone numbersPhysical addresses

Why does this breach matter?

In-depth analysis of the breach and its implications.

In April 2016, KnownCircle, a service dedicated to marketing automation primarily catering to professionals in the real estate and insurance industries, experienced a substantial data breach. An unauthorized party accessed and exposed nearly 2 million records in JSON format, containing sensitive personal information including email addresses, physical addresses, and names. The breach also included bcrypt-hashed passwords of KnownCircle staff. The compromised data seemingly emphasized marketing-related content such as email communications and tracking of gift cards.

Impact Analysis

Understanding the scope and consequences of this breach.

User Impact
Sensitive personal and professional information, including passwords, was exposed, creating potential risks of phishing and identity theft.
Business Impact
Loss of client data diminished KnownCircle's reputation, possibly contributing to its eventual closure.
Affected Sectors
  • Real Estate
  • Insurance
Geographic Impact
  • Worldwide

What You Should Do

Recommended actions to take in response to this breach.

If You Were Affected

  • Check for unusual activities on associated email and professional accounts.
  • Change passwords for any shared credentials in use.
  • Be cautious of phishing attempts leveraging exposed data.

Preventive Measures

  • Utilize unique and strong passwords managed through reliable password managers.
  • Implement robust access control mechanisms with monitoring.
  • Use encryption protocols to secure sensitive data in transit and at rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this breach and what it means for you.

Details such as email addresses, names, physical addresses, and passwords were included.