Next time…will be using a check to pay…

July 8, 2011

Dear Kiplinger customer:

We are writing to let you know of a recent security breach of our database that resulted in an unidentified third-party gaining unauthorized access to our customer information. We deeply regret that this incident has occurred, and any inconvenience or concerns it may cause you. Please read this e-mail closely and strongly consider taking the recommended security steps in response to this event.

The breach was discovered on Saturday, June 25. Upon discovery, we immediately took steps to stop the attack, protect the data and ascertain what information was accessed in this breach.

From our investigation, it appears that your customer information may have been accessed. This information includes your contact information, e-mail address and password. If you are getting this notice, it also means that we have a credit card number on file for you, which could have been accessed by the hackers. Although we store credit card numbers in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized access or misuse, a persistent attacker may be able to crack the encryption and get access to your card number and expiration date. We are not aware that any of the information has been misused, but we want to suggest steps you can take to protect yourself.

If you are an online subscriber and use the same (or a similar) password to access Kiplinger publications that you use for other sites that contains sensitive personal data, we suggest you change your password for those other sites. As your Kiplinger password only allows access to your online subscriptions, not personal data, it is not necessary to change your Kiplinger password. However, if you wish to do so, visit https://www.kiplinger.com/gateway/customerservice/sbchangepass.html.

To protect yourself from fraudulent activity on your credit card account, we recommend that you contact your card issuer and request a new card number. We also recommend that you regularly review activity on your credit card accounts and report any fraudulent activity to the card issuer.

For more information about protecting yourself from identity theft, see the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft Web site, www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.

We recommend you remain alert to unusual or suspicious e-mails. Be very cautious when opening links or attachments from unknown senders. Please know that Kiplinger is treating this matter very seriously. We value your business and the trust you have placed in us, and we will continue to work diligently to protect your personal information. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will adopt procedures and practices to minimize the risk of further incidents.

If you have any questions or need additional information, we are here to help you. Please contact us at Contact-Kiplinger or visit our Web site at http://www.kiplinger.com/securityfaq where you’ll find a series of FAQs and updated information as it becomes available.

Sincerely,

Denise Elliott
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.