The State Law Enforcement Division Chief in South Carolina, Mark Keel, revealed during a confirmation hearing that he believes he knows who was behind a major data breach that occurred twelve years ago. In 2012, a hacker gained access to personal information, including Social Security numbers and credit card details, of more than 3.6 million people in the state. The breach occurred after a contractor with the state Department of Revenue clicked on a malicious link in an email, allowing the hacker to access 6.4 million state income tax returns. Despite Keel’s belief that he knows who was responsible for the breach, he did not reveal any specific details during the hearing.
Following the data breach, the state paid $12 million for identity theft protection and credit monitoring for its residents, making it one of the largest breaches in U.S. history at the time. However, since then, there have been even larger hacks targeting companies like Equifax, Yahoo, Home Depot, Target, and PlayStation. Democratic Sen. Brad Hutto, who has been seeking answers about the breach for over a decade, questioned Keel during the hearing about whether South Carolina paid a ransom to the hacker to retrieve the information. Keel refused to provide more information, stating that he would not lie but was not prepared to be fully transparent.
Keel defended the state’s response to the breach, stating that the quick action taken by authorities prevented the hacked information from being used for fraudulent activities, such as bogus credit card charges or stolen identity information. Despite acknowledging that the state may not have needed to spend $12 million on insurance in hindsight, Keel emphasized that at the time, it was necessary to protect people immediately. Senator Hutto pressed Keel on whether the person responsible for the breach had been prosecuted, suggesting that they may have been paid off to avoid legal consequences. Keel did not directly respond to this speculation but maintained that the individual responsible had been identified.
Having served for nearly 44 years in law enforcement, Keel has been with the State Law Enforcement Division for most of his career, apart from a brief period as the Department of Public Safety’s director. He has held various roles within the agency before being appointed as chief in 2011 by Governor Nikki Haley. Keel’s nomination for another six-year term was approved by a Senate subcommittee, signaling the continuation of his leadership within the State Law Enforcement Division. The details surrounding the data breach in South Carolina continue to remain a mystery, with questions lingering about the handling of the investigation and the identity of the hacker.
