HackingProfessional ServicesProfessional ServicesCustomer Data InvolvedGovernment IDIdentity (basic)HighContained

SmartStart Employment Screening, Inc.

bd_79b8e613fe4dbbff · schema v1 · pii pii-v1

Severity

High

Discovered

Dec 18, 2020

Filed

Aug 27, 2021

To disclose

36 weeks

Affected · nationwide

75,103123 in this filing

Linked

9 filings

Confidence

66%

Full breach record for SmartStart Employment Screening, Inc. →

SmartStart Employment Screening, Inc. reported an external system breach (hacking) occurring on May 13, 2020, discovered on December 18, 2020. The incident affected 75,103 individuals, including 123 Maine residents. Acquired data included names combined with driver's license numbers. SmartStart notified affected individuals in writing on August 24, 2021, and provided 12 months of identity monitoring services through IDX.

J jump to incidentP pin to compareR raw source

Maine clockDiscovered Dec 18, 2020 → Filed with AG Aug 27, 2021252d ✗ ME AG >90d36 weeks discovery → filing

⚠ AG web formThe discovery date came from the AG web-form field, which is systematically later than the detection date stated in the letter. Treat the clock as indicative.

Incident timeline

undetected · 219 days

discovery → filing · 36 weeks / 252 days

May 13, 2020

Begins

Dec 18, 2020

Discovered

Aug 27, 2021

Filed

vs. sector median

+19 wks slower

This filing is one of 9 about the same incident.View merged incident

Linked disclosures

Why this link?

Regulatory filings (8) · sorted by filing gap

California State AGbd_050d1847cd215db92021-08-27Verified
Massachusetts State AGbd_5d1119173a1a1d702021-08-27Verified
South Carolina State AGbd_0db3e2cd96640c932021-08-25 · +2dVerified
Washington State AGbd_27e97a822e6e13622021-08-24 · +3dVerified

Show 4 more filings ↓up to 238d gap

Indiana State AGbd_97379d175ed5a5552021-08-24 · +3dVerified
Montana State AGbd_bb3c6553e769b6d42021-08-24 · +3dVerified
New Hampshire State AGbd_c24b30aeb03debab2021-08-24 · +3dVerified
Illinois State AGbd_767e5f0a78a5cc602021-01-01 · +238dCandidate

Name: SmartStart Employment Screening, Inc.
norm: smartstart employment screening
Industry: Professional Services

Name: SmartStart Employment Screening, Inc.
norm: smartstart employment screening
Industry: Professional Services
Industry: Professional Servicesllm

Discovered: Dec 18, 2020
Breach occurred: May 13, 2020
Undetected for: 219 daysoccurrence → discovery
Materiality determined: —
Notification sent: Aug 24, 2021
Affected individuals: 75,103state + nationwide
Data types: Government IDIdentity (basic)
Data elements: Driver's licence number
Attack vector: Unauthorized Access
MITRE ATT&CK: T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application
Threat actor: External
Regulator citations: Filed data breach notice with Maine Attorney General
Initial access: exploit_public_facing

During the incident: Sent written notification to affected individuals
Offered 12 months of identity theft protection services through IDX
Source: Quoted from the filing itself, not independently verified.

Time to disclose: 36 weeks(252 days from discovery to filing)
Compliance flags: ME AG >90d · 252dME resident >180d · 249d
Discovery-date grounding: AG web formThe discovery date came from the AG web-form field, which is systematically later than the detection date stated in the letter. Treat the clock as indicative.
Clock breakdown: Statute Window Elapsed Threshold Status
Maine
Discovered: Dec 18, 2020
→ Filed with AG: Aug 27, 2021
252d 90 days ME AG >90d
Maine
Discovered: Dec 18, 2020
→ Notified: Aug 24, 2021
249d 180 days ME resident >180d

Statute	Window	Elapsed	Threshold	Status
Maine	Discovered: Dec 18, 2020 → Filed with AG: Aug 27, 2021	252d	90 days	ME AG >90d
Maine	Discovered: Dec 18, 2020 → Notified: Aug 24, 2021	249d	180 days	ME resident >180d

Status: No extraction artifact recorded for this disclosure.

Filing propagation · 9 filings · 9 states

View merged incident ↗

Illinois State AGJan 1 · first

Washington State AG+235d

Indiana State AG+235d

Montana State AG+235d

New Hampshire State AG+235d

South Carolina State AG+236d

California State AG+238d

Massachusetts State AG+238d

Maine State AG+238d · this page

Pattern: first filing Jan 1 (IL), last Aug 27 (ME) — a 238-day rolling notification. Rolling spreads often mean counsel is filing as thresholds trip per state. Why this link?

Evidence ladder

Leak-site claim

Attacker assertion only. Establishes: claim date, group, alleged victim.

Press / market report

Unlocks: incident narrative, operational impact. Still no compliance clock.

State AG / regulator filingThis record

Unlocks: discovery date, data types, affected count, compliance clock.

SEC 8-K / victim statement

Unlocks: materiality, stated response, full audit trail. Ceiling removed.

Source URL: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/a631d297-bcb1-4edc-ad76-cfc3c939fc9c.shtml
DisclosureLens links to the originating regulator URL — full filing bodies are not redistributed from public surfaces (§4.5).
Filed at: Aug 27, 2021
Raw hash: 9c14db229ac48b6199c736befa9001d669f49ced7700e4940db1407c5bf3e55d

Linked disclosures

Regulatory filings (8) · sorted by filing gap

Reporting entitySmartStart Employment Screening, Inc.

Victim entitySmartStart Employment Screening, Inc.

Incidentdiscovered Dec 18, 2020

Stated responseSent written notification to affected individuals

ComplianceME AG >90d

Extraction provenanceno artifact recorded

Source provenancewww.maine.gov