Convenience store giant 7-Eleven has confirmed a significant data breach that has compromised the personal information of more than 185,000 people. The incident involved unauthorized access to internal servers, resulting in the exposure of sensitive records including names, dates of birth, and physical addresses.

Investigations into the security lapse revealed that the breach extended to highly sensitive documentation, with reports filed in Maine and Massachusetts indicating that Social Security numbers and driver’s license information were also accessed. The company’s chief information security officer, Jim Kastle, noted that the intruders specifically targeted an internal server housing franchisee-related documents.

The cyberattack has been attributed to the hacking collective known as ShinyHunters. The group reportedly engaged in an extortion scheme, threatening to release the stolen data publicly unless a ransom demand was met. The incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in corporate data management and the persistent threat posed by organized cybercriminal groups targeting retail infrastructure.