Redtail Technology redtailtechnology.com Redtail Technology data breach: what happened and what to do
Redtail Technology found on March 4, 2019 that a debug log file holding some financial advisors' client data was reachable from the internet. Names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers were exposed. It started notifying people on May 17, 2019.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 4 Mar 2019
- Made public
- 23 May 2019
- Data exposed
- Names, Physical addresses, Dates of birth, Social security numbers
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Redtail Technology makes software that financial advisors use to manage client records. On March 4, 2019, it found that its logging systems had captured a small subset of advisor-stored data and kept it in a debug log file reachable from the internet. Redtail fixed the problem the same day, but it didn't start notifying investors until May 17, 2019. The California Attorney General's breach list shows the notice as reported on May 23, 2019.
InvestmentNews reported that the delay of more than two months may have run afoul of state breach notification rules. Redtail told advisors the data was exposed for a limited time and involved fewer than 1% of its clients. That share comes from the company, and no total number of people has been published.
Sources checked: oag.ca.gov, investmentnews.com, wealthmanagement.com
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
The exposed fields were names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. That is the core of an identity theft kit. Because these were investors' records, fraud aimed at brokerage and retirement accounts is a real concern, along with new credit in someone's name.
Redtail's CEO said the exposure was not an intentional attack by a third party. It was a configuration error. That doesn't change what could have been seen in the file.
The company's response
Redtail offered affected people free credit and identity theft monitoring through Symantec.
What this means for you
If your advisor uses Redtail and you got a letter, take the monitoring offer and add a freeze. Also ask your advisor and your brokerage how they confirm it's really you before moving money.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A freeze is free and stops most new accounts being opened in your name. Place it separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as the FTC explains. Lift it when you apply for credit yourself.
- 2
Read your statements and explanation of benefits
Look for charges, accounts or medical services you don't recognize, and report anything odd to the company that sent it.
- 3
Expect messages that mention the breach
Scammers write to affected people with real details to sound credible. Don't click links in unexpected emails or texts. Go to the company's own site or the phone number on your card.
- 4
Report misuse
If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
A free Serus scan checks breach databases for your email, phone and other details and alerts you when they appear in a new leak.
Official filings
- California Attorney General , filed 23 May 2019
Timeline
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The breach happened
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The company made it public
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Reported to the California Attorney General
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Redtail breach?
If your financial advisor used Redtail and you received a notice letter, yes. Redtail said under 1% of its clients were involved.
What was exposed?
Names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, per press coverage of Redtail's notice.
Was it a hack?
Redtail said no. It describes a debug log file that was reachable from the internet by mistake.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
