When customers hand over their personal and financial data, they are trusting that institution with their livelihoods. That trust was shattered when Fairmont Federal Credit Union (FFCU) disclosed a breach — two years after it happened — that compromised the complete financial identities of 187,038 people.
The attack itself took place in late 2023. The Black Basta ransomware group maintained access to FFCU’s systems for weeks, quietly siphoning out names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license information, credit and debit card numbers, PINs, bank routing details, and even IRS PINs. In other words: a blueprint for identity theft, exfiltrated and stockpiled.
Yet the victims didn’t hear about it until 2025.
Why the Delay Matters
A two-year notification delay doesn’t just look bad on paper — it multiplies the risk. Every month that stolen data circulates on the dark web gives criminals more time to exploit it. Even if FFCU claims they “aren’t aware of identity theft yet,” the exposure window ensures damage will compound.
This is a case study in how overlooked digital blind spots make organizations vulnerable, and how failure to detect or disclose quickly deepens the consequences.
The Overlooked Front Lines: DNS and Brand Protection
Groups like Black Basta don’t materialize inside networks by magic. They gain initial access through phishing, stolen credentials, or exploiting unmonitored infrastructure. Two often-ignored weak points are:
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Brand Protection: Attackers spin up look-alike domains and phishing sites that trick employees or customers. A proactive brand defense system — one that hunts, flags, and takes down fraudulent domains in real time — can cut off that entry point before it’s exploited.
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DNS Monitoring: DNS isn’t just the internet’s phone book; it’s also a prime channel for command-and-control or stealthy data exfiltration. Without continuous monitoring of DNS traffic, attackers can move laterally and operate undetected for months, just as they did here.
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Commercial-Grade DNS: Basic DNS services don’t have the advanced security features needed to withstand modern ransomware operations. Commercial-grade DNS, with built-in threat intelligence and DDoS protection, adds a critical layer of resilience.
The Real Lesson for Business Leaders
The FFCU breach shows internal IT controls aren’t enough. Your security posture must extend outward: to your domains, your DNS, and your digital perimeter.
If you’re not actively protecting your brand, monitoring DNS traffic, and running on hardened DNS infrastructure, then you’re leaving gaps attackers are trained to exploit.
FFCU’s story is a warning. The question for every organization is: will it also be your story?
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