More than 1.1M South Carolinians affected by data breaches in first half of 2026

More than 1.1 million South Carolina residents had their personal information exposed in security breaches during the first six months of 2026, according to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.

Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 41 businesses reported security breaches to the agency, affecting 1,131,320 South Carolinians.

Financial businesses reported the highest number of breaches, with 12 incidents impacting 801,652 residents. The hospitality industry reported four breaches affecting 154,455 residents, while the education sector reported three breaches involving 91,842 residents.

Under South Carolina law, businesses must notify residents when their personal information has been compromised. If a breach affects more than 1,000 South Carolina residents, the business must also provide the Department of Consumer Affairs with a copy of the notification sent to those affected.

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The department is urging anyone who receives a security breach notice to take immediate steps to protect their information, including changing passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and closely monitoring financial accounts and credit reports for suspicious activity.

Officials also recommend placing a fraud alert or security freeze with the major credit reporting agencies to help prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in a victim’s name.

Anyone whose government-issued identification was exposed or misused should contact the issuing agency to determine whether the document should be replaced.

The Department of Consumer Affairs said its Identity Theft Unit is available to help South Carolina residents with guidance on scams, data breaches and identity theft.