A cyber attack compromised personal information of some employees and contractors of the political affairs magazine the Atlantic, according to a statement issued by the publication this week.
The attack was discovered last month when Atlantic Media discovered an intrusion in some of its computer systems.
The company says it immediately contacted forensic investigators to learn about the scale of the attack and eventually concluded that the personal information of some of its employees and contractors may have been accessed by an “unauthorized actor.”
A file share server that may have been accessed by the hacker contained tax documents that had “names and Social Security Numbers of certain current and former employees of Atlantic Media” as well as the company’s current subsidiaries, former subsidiaries and independent contractors.
“Atlantic Media does not have evidence of any fraudulent use or public disclosure of these data,” the company said in a statement, adding that there was no evidence that subscriber or client information was accessed during the attack.
Atlantic Media, owned by David Bradley, was the corporate owner of the Atlantic magazine until Bradley sold a majority stake in the publication to Emerson Collective, a for-profit philanthropic group operated by Laurene Powell Jobs. Atlantic Media retains a minority ownership stake in the Atlantic magazine.
First published in 1857, the Atlantic continues to operate as political affairs journal, producing and distributing 10 full-length magazines each year. The company also operates the website theatlantic.com, which features an expanded collection of news articles and essays that cater to a moderately progressive audience.
