May 9, 2023 // National

OSV Launches ‘Comprehensive Investigation’ After ‘Suspicious Activity’ Found on Network

Our Sunday Visitor

HUNTINGTON, Indiana (OSV News) — Our Sunday Visitor, one of the largest Catholic resource providers in the world, announced on May 5 an incident regarding data security within the company that, according to a statement, “may affect the privacy of some personal information maintained by OSV.”

“On March 8, 2023, OSV discovered suspicious activity on its network,” company officials said in a statement. “OSV immediately took steps to secure its systems and initiated an investigation into the nature and scope of the event with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists. The investigation determined that certain files were acquired by an unknown actor while on OSV’s network. In response, OSV undertook a thorough review of the data determined to be at risk to assess the type of information at issue and to whom that information relates.”

The review, the statement said, is ongoing, but it is believed the “files contain sensitive information for certain individuals.”

OSV currently is in the process of finalizing the review and mailing letters to potentially impacted individuals.

Our Sunday Visitor headquarters in Huntington, Ind., is pictured May 5, 2023. OSV has launched an investigation after “suspicious activity” was found on its network March 8.
(OSV News photo/courtesy Tyler Ottinger)

The sensitive information varies for each affected individual, OSV officials said, but “the specific data elements vary by each individual and impacted individuals will be receiving letters that provide details regarding their personal data.”

OSV officials said they have seen no evidence of misuse of any information related to this incident.

In an email to all employees on May 3, Kyle Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer, said that the “security and peace of mind (of employees) are very important to us, and we are working to mitigate any possible dangers from this data breach.”

OSV was founded in 1912 by Father John Francis Noll as a way to spread knowledge about the Catholic faith through periodicals, books, and parish resources. Today, OSV is the largest provider in church envelopes and one of the largest Catholic publishers in the world.