HYDE SHIPPING CORPORATION PROVIDES NOTICE OF DATA PRIVACY EVENT

HIALEAH, Fla., Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyde Shipping Corporation ("Hyde Shipping") is providing notice of an incident that may affect the privacy of certain individuals' personal information. Hyde Shipping takes this incident seriously and is providing information about the incident, their response, and resources available to individuals to help protect their information, should they wish to do so.

What Happened? On or around July 13, 2022, Hyde Shipping became aware of suspicious activity related to an employee email account. They immediately initiated an investigation into the nature and scope of the event with the assistance of third-party computer forensic specialists. The investigation determined that an unauthorized individual accessed the employee's email account between February 12, 2022, and July 12, 2022. In response, Hyde Shipping undertook a comprehensive and time-consuming review of the contents of the affected email account to determine the full universe of information present that could have been subject to unauthorized access. On September 21, 2022, Hyde Shipping completed this comprehensive review and identified the scope of the information and individuals who may be affected. Hyde Shipping has no evidence that information relating to any individual was actually viewed without authorization, but they are unable to rule out this possibility. While unaware of any actual or attempted misuse of sensitive information as a result of this incident, Hyde Shipping is providing this notice out of an abundance of caution.

What Information Was Involved? A thorough review of the affected email account was conducted to identify the types of information stored therein and to whom it related. While the information at issue varies for each individual, the scope of information involved includes name, Social Security number, passport number, driver's license number, non-U.S. National identification number, U.S. Alien Registration number, Honduras tax identification number, international tax identification number, financial account information, credit or debit card information, and date of birth.

What Hyde Shipping is Doing. Hyde Shipping takes this event and the security of information seriously. Upon learning of the event, Hyde Shipping immediately took steps to secure the affected email account and investigated the incident with computer forensics specialists. They have also taken additional steps to improve security and reduce the likelihood of a similar event in the future. Hyde Shipping is also offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to individuals whose information may be impacted by this event.

Whom Should Individuals Contact For More Information? If individuals have questions or would like additional information, they may call Hyde Shipping's dedicated assistance line at (855) 926-1364 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

What You Can Do. Hyde Shipping encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report, place a fraud alert, or a security freeze. Contact information for the credit bureaus is below.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information, depending on whether the request is made online, by phone, or by mail:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

SOURCE Hyde Shipping Corporation