More Than 1.1 Million South Carolinians Affected by Security Breaches So Far in 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. – From January 1 to June 30, 2026, 41 businesses reported security breaches to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA). Those breaches affected 1,131,320 South Carolina residents.  

So far during 2026, financial businesses reported the most breaches (12) involving 801,652 residents. The hospitality and education sectors experienced a small number of breaches yet ranked second and third in terms of the number of residents impacted. The hospitality industry reported four breaches, impacting 154,455 residents and the education sector reported three breaches affecting 91,842 South Carolinians. 

A business must let South Carolina residents know when their personal information is breached. When the breach affects more than 1,000 residents, the business must give the Department a copy of the notice sent to those residents. Notices received by SCDCA are posted on the Department’s website. 

SCDCA encourages residents who receive a security breach notice to take these steps: 

• Protect impacted accounts by changing your password right away and turning on multi-factor authentication. Passwords should be unique to each account and at least 16 characters long with mixed-case letters, numbers and symbols. Using multi-factor authentication will add an extra step (like a text message code or facial recognition) to your login process, making it more secure. 
• Closely monitor your credit report and financial statements/accounts. Check all monthly statements and account activity for unauthorized purchases/accounts and suspicious items. You can obtain your FREE credit reports by visiting annualcreditreport.com or calling (877) 322-8228.
• Consider a fraud alert and security freeze. When you have a fraud alert on your report, a business must verify your identity before it issues credit or services in your name. This makes it harder for a thief to open new accounts in your name. A security freeze stops anyone from opening new accounts using your information, until you lift the freeze. Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies to place an alert and contact each of them to place a freeze: Equifax (800) 685-1111, Experian (888) 397-3742 and TransUnion (888) 909-8872.

If your government-issued identification has been breached, or fraudulently misused, contact the issuing agency. You may need to cancel the ID and get a replacement. 

• For South Carolina driver’s licenses or ID Cards: visit the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles branch or visit dmv.sc.gov to learn more about replacing a license.
• For passports: visit the U.S. Department of State website. 

SCDCA provides educational resources for consumers and businesses. During July, there will be two free informational webinars to discuss breaches and protecting personal information. To register for a webinar, click the title links below:

• Wednesday, July 8 at 10:30 a.m. – My Information Was Breached. What Now?  – SCDCA will host a free webinar for residents to learn more about the steps to take if they receive a security breach notification. 
• Thursday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. – Writing Effective Security Breach Notices – State and federal laws establish specific security breach notification requirements for private businesses and public bodies. SCDCA will outline best practices for businesses to follow.

For additional tips, check out our flyer on breach tools (PDF). South Carolina residents can also call SCDCA's Identity Theft Unit at 800-922-1594 or visit consumer.sc.gov to submit an ID Theft Intake Form. The Unit is dedicated to offering consumers tailored guidance on scams, security breaches and identity theft issues.

About SCDCA

Established in 1974, DCA has more than fifty years of experience in protecting South Carolina consumers while recognizing those businesses that act honestly and fairly. Cultivating a marketplace comprised of well-informed consumers and businesses prevents deceptive and unfair business practices, allows legitimate business activity to flourish, resulting in the promotion of competition and a healthier economy.

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