Media firm Urban One confirms data breach after cybercriminals claim February attack

Media conglomerate Urban One reported a data breach in recent days involving the personal information of employees and more.

In breach notification letters filed in Texas and Massachusetts, the Maryland-based media company said the cyberattack began on February 13 and was initiated through “a sophisticated social engineering campaign.”

The hackers were able to exfiltrate company data but the company only discovered the incident on March 15. The incident did not impact the company’s operations but by March 30, a forensic investigation confirmed that data was stolen by the hackers.

Names, addresses, Social Security numbers, direct deposit information and W-2 information was taken during the attack. The company did not respond to requests for comment but reported that 355 people in Texas were affected. 

Victims are being offered two years of credit monitoring services and law enforcement was contacted about the incident. 

Urban One is the largest media company targeting the African American community, running multiple TV channels, dozens of radio stations and news websites. 

The company reported about $450 million in revenue in 2024 and previously informed California regulators of a data breach in 2019 that involved the theft of more than 1,000 Social Security numbers. 

The attack on Urban One was claimed by the Cactus ransomware gang on March 12. The group emerged in 2023 and was initially spotlighted by Microsoft because it used malware distributed through online advertisements to infect victims.

The group drew alarm after its attack on Americold, the world’s largest publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on temperature-controlled warehouses. It also took credit for attacks on a large Swedish supermarket chain, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and French multinational Schneider Electric.