South Carolina reports 1.13 million affected residents in first-half breach notices
South Carolina businesses reported security breaches affecting 1,131,320 South Carolina residents during the first half of 2026, according to a July 6 report from the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.
The figure covers breach notices received from January 1 through June 30. It is a total of reported affected residents, not a count of 1,131,320 uniquely identified people. The department’s broader reporting guidance says totals can be minimum figures when organizations cannot determine everyone affected.
Financial businesses reported the largest share
Forty-one businesses reported breaches during the six-month period. Financial businesses filed 12 notices involving 801,652 South Carolina residents.
Hospitality businesses reported four breaches affecting 154,455 residents. Education businesses reported three breaches affecting 91,842 residents.
A small number of large notices drove much of the statewide total. AssuranceAmerica Managing General Agency reported 611,046 affected South Carolina residents on June 18. Carnival Corporation reported 134,156 on May 28.
Those two notices together account for 745,202 reported residents, or about 66% of the first-half total. That calculation does not mean every person experienced the same exposure. The data involved can differ from one notice to another, so residents should read the notice from the organization involved.
Later registry entries are outside the first-half total
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs’ public registry was updated through July 23, 2026. It includes notices reported after June 30, including MCBS, LLC, which listed 295,625 affected South Carolina residents on July 1, and Unlimited Technology Systems, LLC, which listed 148,342 on July 21.
Those entries should not be added to the 1,131,320 first-half total. The July 6 report measured notices received during the January-through-June period, while the registry continues to change as businesses submit additional notices.
What the state registry shows
South Carolina businesses must notify residents when their personal information is breached. When a business sends notice to 1,000 or more South Carolina residents at one time, it must also notify the Department of Consumer Affairs and provide a copy of the consumer notice. Notices received by the department are posted publicly.
The registry can show the organization, reporting date and reported number of affected South Carolina residents. It is not a complete count of every breach or every affected person. The department says the affected-resident field may be blank when a business does not know the number. Businesses reporting a breach affecting fewer than 1,000 South Carolina residents may also choose whether to provide the department with a copy of the notice.
The department’s 2026 historical report says some organizations were unable to determine a precise number of affected consumers even after investigating. In those cases, the reported totals represent minimum numbers, not an independently audited count of every person whose information may have been exposed.
Steps to take after receiving a notice
Residents who receive a breach notice should act promptly rather than wait for evidence of fraud.
- Change the password for the affected account and any other account where the same password was used.
- Turn on multifactor authentication and use unique passwords for important accounts.
- Review bank, credit-card and other financial statements for unauthorized activity.
- Obtain free credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Consider placing a fraud alert with a credit-reporting agency. An alert requires businesses to take additional steps to verify identity before issuing credit or services in your name.
- Consider placing a security freeze with each of the three major credit-reporting agencies. A freeze can help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name until you lift it.
If a notice says a driver’s license, identification card or passport may have been exposed, contact the agency that issued the document. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs Identity Theft Unit also offers guidance at 800-922-1594.
The statewide total shows the volume of reported exposure, but it does not establish that every listed resident suffered identity theft or financial loss. The individual notice remains the best source for what information was involved, what protections are offered and what deadlines apply.
Sources
- South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs: First-half 2026 breach report
- Spectrum News: SCDCA reports decline in security breaches
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