Columbia Machine Data Breach Exposes Social Security Numbers

Columbia Machine Inc., a manufacturing company based in Vancouver, Washington, disclosed a data breach involving sensitive personal information.

The breach was reported to the Washington Attorney General on July 9, 2026, with 1,276 Washington residents identified as affected. Columbia Machine began notifying consumers on July 9, 2026.

On April 5, 2026, Columbia Machine detected suspicious activity and encryption of certain data within its technical environment. The company took steps to secure its network and launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists.

The investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to Columbia Machine's systems between March 27, 2026, and April 5, 2026. During that period, the intruder viewed and copied certain files stored on the company's network.

After the breach was discovered, Columbia Machine conducted an initial review of the data identified by forensic investigators. The first review found that the affected files contained only non-confidential company documents. However, additional copied files that potentially contained sensitive personal information were identified at a later point. This led the company to begin a second, more time-intensive investigation.

Due to the complexity of this second review and the large volume of data involved, the process required careful analysis and validation before reliable conclusions could be reached. On June 18, 2026, Columbia Machine completed its review and confirmed that personal information had been affected by the incident.

The types of information exposed varied by individual and included names, Social Security numbers, driver's license or Washington ID card numbers, full dates of birth and passport numbers.

Columbia Machine's response to the breach

Columbia Machine is offering 24 months of free credit monitoring and identity protection services through Experian IdentityWorks. The service includes an Experian credit report at signup, daily credit monitoring of the individual's Experian credit file, identity restoration support and $1 million in identity theft insurance.

Affected individuals can enroll in these services by visiting Experian's enrollment page or by calling 833-931-3737, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. holidays. The deadline to enroll is Oct. 31, 2026.

Individuals with additional questions about the incident can contact Columbia Machine by email at PrivacyNotice@colmac.com or by calling the same dedicated phone line at 833-931-3737.