In a filing with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Sysco, Inc. announced that a data breach identified on March 5th was probably operative from mid-January onwards.
The breach allowed hackers to access private data of employees, although the operation of the business was not affected. It is believed that social security numbers, personal bank account numbers and other data have been compromised.
The company notified appropriate authorities and an investigation into the event is in progress. Given that more than 125,000 names were subject to unauthorized access, litigation is anticipated, and Sysco will possibly face a federal investigation and sanctions.
The implications for large and intermediate-sized companies of this event and the need to protect the integrity of HR and other databases are self-evident.