MTV Says Data Breach Opens 5,000 Workers To ID Theft Risk

March 10, 2008 10:32 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - MTV Networks has told 5,000 employees their Social Security numbers and other personal data may have been accessed after computers were breached.

In a letter sent Friday to the workers, the Viacom-owned MTV said it was taking "every appropriate action" to protect data in the future. The company did not say how the systems were breached or when the break-in happened.

For its part, parent company Viacom said police have launched a criminal investigation and is offering credit-monitoring.

In 2007, discount retail company TJX Cos., lost millions of customer credit card numbers after hackers bypassed security to access stored data.