Scrap Metal Services reports data ‘event’

East Chicago, Indiana-based Scrap Metal Services LLC (SMS) has provided notice of what it calls a potential data event that occurred this July or August.

The company says Aug. 5 it “discovered unusual activity on certain of our computer systems.” SMS says it “quickly disconnected these systems from the network and commenced an intensive investigation that included working with third-party forensic specialists.”

The forensic investigation determined some SMS systems “were subject to access by an unknown actor sometime between July 28, 2021, and Aug. 5, 2021.”

The company continues, “SMS initiated an exhaustive review of its systems to identify potentially impacted data and determine the type of information and to whom it related. Following its initial review, SMS worked through Sept. 21, 2021, to identify and populate address information for any potentially affected individuals.”

SMS says it is working to notify potentially impacted people and has made a public notice “to make people aware of the issue and the steps we are taking in response. 

“SMS reported this incident to federal law enforcement and is notifying individuals and relevant regulators as required,” states the company.

The full version of the company’s notice, found on this web page, includes additional instructions for potentially affected people, including some state-specific options.