Hacked: Data Breaches Are A Headache For Companies But A Nightmare For Everyone Else.
It seems like every day brings news of yet another data breach. You can be forgiven for becoming numb to them due to their frequency and regularity. But data breaches are extremely serious events whose consequences can run the gamut from identity theft and ruined credit to grave national security threats. As one of the most connected nations on the planet, data breaches should not be the ‘cost of doing business’ on the Internet.
Did You Know? 51% of data breaches involved organized criminal groups and 81% involve stolen or breached passwords. Were you a victim of fraud through theft of your passwords or other data? Our consumer protection attorneys can help.
Companies Often Don’t Take Security Of Your Data Seriously
It’s painfully obvious that companies do not take protecting your data seriously. Case in point: ex-Equifax “Chief Security Officer” Susan Mauldin’s qualifications included a bachelor’s degree and a master of fine arts degree in music composition from the University of Georgia. Her LinkedIn professional profile lists no education related to technology or security. It was revealed that Equifax’s massive data breach of 143 million records came about due to a known software vulnerability that should have been patched months earlier. Even though she immediately retired after the breach, “Chief Security Officer” was a position she had no business occupying in the first place. How many other Equifaxes are out there? No one knows, but you can be sure that there are more to come in the future.
Did You Know? Not only are the number of data breaches rising, but the number of records stolen per breach is also increasing, as well as the cost per stolen record. Get a handle on the total costs to you of a data breach and find out who was responsible.
What Can You Do If You Are A Victim In A Data Breach?
When companies are careless with your valuable personal data, there should be consequences. And since most companies only seem to change when they face real financial penalties, litigation that recovers significant compensation for victims is the most effective way to steer a corporate culture toward adopting a laser-like focus on data security. At Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC, we are currently working on behalf of tens of thousands of identity theft victims in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Premera Data Breach Lawsuit
We are the lead litigation firm in a class action suit against Premera for their data breach that saw potentially millions of highly personal medical and financial records leak to the dark web. Premera has made every attempt to downplay the seriousness of this breach and has resisted calls to accept responsibility and provide appropriate restitution to affected individuals. A consortium of law groups, of which Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC is a member, interviewed Premera IT employees and conducted an in-depth investigation in preparation for a trial. Consumers are poised to prevail in this lawsuit through a settlement.
Data breaches are happening more and more often. Here are some of the larger data breaches we know about, including what kind of data was taken and how many individuals were affected.
Consider These Data Breach Case Details
| COMPANY | NUMBER AFFECTED | DATE | DATA STOLEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yahoo (Oath, Inc.) | 3,000,000,000 | 2013 | Emails, Usernames, Encrypted Passwords |
| Yahoo (Oath, Inc.) | 500,000,000+ | 2014 | Names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, some security questions/answers |
| Equifax | 145,500,000 | 2017 | SSNs, dates of birth, addresses, some driver’s license numbers, some credit cards |
| 100,000,000 | 2012 | Emails, Passwords | |
| Deloitte | Unknown | 2016 | Admin accounts; access to Deloitte email for months |
Our Consumer Protection Law Firm Is Here For You
If you have been the victim of data theft, contact us and tell us more about your situation as a consumer with rights. Your data is valuable and its theft is not something to be taken lightly. Let the team at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC go to work for you and teach offending companies that data carelessness is not a sound business strategy. Send an inquiry online or call us in Seattle or Tacoma at (206) 462-4334 or (253) 777-0799.
How much do you charge?
Our work is done on a contingency basis. This means that you do not pay us on an hourly basis, and we advance the costs of litigation. If we help you resolve your case, we receive a percentage of the amount you receive, and you reimburse us for the costs we advanced on your behalf.