Discount broker Scottrade said on Friday that it was the victim of a cyber attack from late 2013 to early 2014 that compromised client names and addresses in a database with information on some 4.6 million customers.
The firm said it learned about the attack from federal law enforcement officials who were investigating the theft of data from Scottrade and other financial services firms. The company did not identify other potential victims. FBI officials could not be reached for comment.
News of the attack comes a day after Experian disclosed a breach that compromised sensitive data of some 15 million people who sought to open accounts with T-Mobile US Inc.
The two incidents, announced on the first two days of the U.S. government’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, are a stark reminder of the challenges businesses face in getting ahead of hackers following a string of massive breaches in recent years.
Scottrade said on its website that its trading platforms and client funds had not been compromised.
