California Cryobank reports data breach

California Cryobank, the largest sperm bank in the United States, is reporting a data breach that exposed sensitive customer information. The company provides frozen donor sperm and specialized reproductive services including egg and embryo storage across all 50 states and more than 30 countries worldwide. 

California Cryobank detected suspicious activity on its network on April 21, 2024, and isolated affected computers from their IT network. An unauthorized party gained access to California Cryobank's IT environment between April 20, 2024, and April 22, 2024. 

During this period, the attackers accessed and/or acquired files within the organization's infrastructure. The exposed data includes:

• Names
• Bank account and routing numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Driver's license numbers
• Payment card numbers
• Health insurance information

The nature of the attack and the number of affected individuals have not been disclosed.

A separate concern is whether donor information, including donor ID numbers, was compromised in the breach. When sperm is donated, it is commonly done anonymously, with donors assigned ID numbers that can later be used by offspring when they turn 18 to learn more about their biological fathers. If such information was exposed, it would represent a serious privacy concern for individuals who donated sperm anonymously in the past. California Cryobank has not disclosed whether donor data was affected in the breach.

California Cryobank is offering free one-year credit monitoring services to individuals whose Social Security or driver's license numbers were compromised.