Comcast Faces $1.5 Million Fine After Vendor Security Failure Leads to Data Leak

Comcast was required to pay $1.5 million to the FCC as a result of a data breach that occurred as a consequence of the outside vendor (called FBCS) for selling services to Comcast. The FCC concluded that the vendor was negligent in properly safekeeping their client's (Comcast's) customer information and thus did not comply with the FCC rules for safeguarding customer information from unauthorized parties.

What Happened​

A collection agency named FBCS was employed by Comcast. FBCS had a data breach in 2024 where hackers stole customer information from them. About 237k customers' records were leaked. The affected customers used Comcast's Internet, television, and home security systems.

Reason for Comcast's Fine​

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has determined that the telecommunications provider FBCS failed to adequately secure customers' personal information.

The FCC is holding Comcast accountable for the vendor they used when there was no evidence that any Comcast system was breached.

As part of its regulatory compliance with the FCC, Comcast has developed and will implement a more rigorous plan to verify third-party vendors' security procedures, to ensure that consumer information remains protected.

Comcast has not admitted any wrongdoing. They believe that because the vendor was responsible for implementing security protocols on behalf of Comcast's systems and networks.

What Data was Exposed?​

The leaked data contained:

• First Name and Last Name
• Residential Address
• E-Mail Address
• Phone Numbers
• Other Personal Information

As a result of this data being available to scammers they will easily be able to attempt to scam people using this information.

Why is This Important?​

The data being at risk is an example that even if you are using a secure company, the data may still be compromised due to potential lack of security at the third party/outsourced vendor.

A company such as Comcast which supports vendors should be monitoring and reviewing the vendors they use to try to avoid this happening.

Advice for Customers Of Comcast​

If you are a Comcast customer, we would recommend the following:

• Be cautious with any emails or phone calls that seem to be out of the ordinary
• Change your login passwords
• Monitor your account activity for anything that appears to be out of the ordinary

Final Considerations​

The penalty imposed by the FCC is intended to encourage Comcast to be more diligent regarding its vendors. This breach of customer information is further evidence of the necessity of protecting customer information by all companies.