Richmond, Va., November 8, 2021 -- ARC3 Gases, Inc. ("ARC3") is announcing a recent event that may impact the security of certain personal information. Although ARC3 is unaware of any misuse of this information, they are providing information about the incident, steps taken since discovering the incident, and what an impacted individual can do to better protect against potential misuse of personal information as a result of this incident, should they feel it is appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On May 21, 2021, ARC3 Gases became aware of suspicious activity in its computer network. They took steps to secure the network and minimize any disruption to operations and launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident with the assistance of industry-leading cybersecurity specialists. On May 21, 2021, the investigation determined that an unauthorized actor accessed the ARC3 Gases network between October 4, 2020 and March 29, 2021, and on May 21, 2021. During the unauthorized access, certain files were removed from the network.

Following this determination, ARC3 undertook an in-depth, lengthy, and labor-intensive process to identify the information that may have been contained in the impacted documents, identify the individuals whose information may have been impacted, and reviewed internal records to identify address information for potentially impacted individuals. This review was completed on August 11, 2021. ARC3 Gases is notifying certain individuals of this incident out of an abundance of caution because the investigation determined that information relating to current and former employees may have been impacted by this event.

What information was affected? The following types of information may be affected for current and former employees as a result of this incident: Social Security number, driver's license number, financial account information, and health information.

How will individuals know if they are affected by this incident? ARC3 is mailing notice letters to the individuals for whom they have a valid mailing address whose information was determined to be at risk. If an individual did not receive a letter but would like to know if they are affected, they may call the dedicated assistance line below. Because ARC3 has insufficient contact information for some of the potentially impacted individuals, they are providing notice to those potentially impacted individuals by way of a notification published on its website as well as to North Carolina and Virginia media outlets.

What ARC3 is doing. ARC3 takes this incident and the security of personal information in their care seriously. Upon learning of this incident, ARC3 moved quickly to investigate and respond to this incident, assess the security of relevant systems, and notify potentially affected individuals. ARC3's response included resetting relevant account passwords, reviewing the contents of the potentially accessed documents to determine whether they contained personal information, and reviewing internal systems to identify contact information for purposes of providing notice to potentially affected individuals. As part of ARC3's ongoing commitment to the security of information, ARC3 is also reviewing existing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. ARC3 is also notifying relevant state regulators.

What you can do. In an abundance of caution, ARC3 is providing notice of this incident along with complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity restoration services for affected individuals, and information on what an impacted individual can do to better protect against the possibility of identity theft and fraud. Information on how to enroll in the monitoring service will be included in the letter sent to those whose information may have been accessible. You can also review the information below for guidance on how to protect personal information. ARC3 advises all potentially impacted individuals to remain vigilant by reviewing account statements and monitoring free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors.

For more information. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this incident, please call their dedicated, toll-free number at (855) 675-2848, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Personal Information

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023; and www.oag.state.md.us.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

Contact:
Bradley Warrick
804-444-4521 ext. 27190

/PRNewswire  -- Nov. 8, 2021/

SOURCE ARC3 Gases, Inc.