On May 24, 2024, Varsity Brands discovered a cyberattack that compromised the personal information of 65,669 individuals. Varsity, a leading provider of cheerleading apparel and competitions, identified suspicious activity on its network and quickly launched an investigation. Third-party cybersecurity experts confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to sensitive data, which included Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial information, and employee ID numbers.
After the breach, Varsity took action by securing its systems and notifying law enforcement. On October 14, 2024, Varsity Brands began sending data breach notification letters to those affected, offering 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
Although Varsity Brands has not released details on all the data types involved, the compromised information has left many customers vulnerable to potential identity theft and financial fraud. Similar breaches have led to fraudulent activity, such as unauthorized credit card applications, medical service fraud, and personal information being posted on the dark web.
For Varsity customers concerned about the breach, immediate steps include signing up for credit monitoring, checking financial statements for unauthorized transactions, and freezing credit reports to prevent new accounts from being opened.
Varsity Brands, headquartered in Farmers Branch, Texas, operates key subsidiaries in the sports and cheerleading industries, including BSN Sports, Herff Jones, and Varsity Spirit. The company has faced scrutiny in the past, including antitrust litigation, and the recent data breach raises new questions about its ability to safeguard customer information.
Follow Cheer Daily for more updates on this developing story and guidance on how cheerleaders and their families can protect themselves in the wake of the Varsity Brands breach.
