Posted On April 25, 2022 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches

Data Breach Alert: BlueForce Inc.

April 25, 2022 – Recently, BlueForce, Inc. confirmed that the company was targeted in a cyberattack, resulting in the sensitive information of certain customers being compromised. On April 20, 2022, BlueForce sent out data breach letters to all affected parties, informing them of the incident and what they can do to reduce the chances of falling victim to fraud or identity theft.

The data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. are actively investigating the BlueForce data breach. Our law firm is investigating the BlueForce data breach and is currently seeking to interview as many victims of the breach as possible to determine how they were impacted and what legal options may be available to them. If you would be willing to participate in the investigation and would like to have a free consultation and case evaluation, please contact us as soon as possible.

In 2021, there were 1,862 data breaches affecting more than 189,000,000 individuals. Victims of identity theft spend, on average, 200 hours and more than $1,300 recovering their identity. Many of these victims also suffer credit damage, emotional distress, and may even end up with a criminal record. Taking immediate action is the best way to prevent the worst consequences of a data breach.

What We Know So Far About the Blue Force Data Breach

According to an official filing by the company, on around May 4, 2021, BlueForce, Inc. experienced a disruption in some of its computer systems. In response, the company launched an investigation, with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity professionals. The investigation revealed that certain files on the company’s computer network were accessible to an unauthorized party on May 4, 2022.

Upon learning of the extent of the security breach, BlueForce then reviewed the affected files to determine what information was compromised. The company completed this review on March 8, 2022, and, on April 20, 2022, BlueForce began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

BlueForce, Inc. is an employee-owned global professional services business located in Hampton, Virginia. BlueForce provides project management, net-centric solutions, training, security operations, nation-building and acquisition support to the government as well as its private-sector clients. BlueForce Inc. employs more than 263 people and generates annual revenue of approximately $52 million.

Can Consumers Whose Data Was Leaked Pursue Legal Action Against a Company?

When you allowed BlueForce access to your personal data, you trusted the company to keep your sensitive information safe. However, news of the BlueForce data breach raises some very serious questions about the company’s data security measures and whether the company could have done more to prevent this type of cyber-attack.

Regardless of the industry, all businesses have a legal obligation to protect consumer information in their possession. Although creating and maintaining a data security system is costly, this is a necessary expense given the frequency with which cyberattacks occur.

Consumers whose personal, identifying, financial or healthcare-related data was compromised in a data breach can pursue legal action against a company that misused or mishandled their information. However, the investigation into the Blue Force breach is only in its beginning phases. For that reason, it is too early to tell if BlueForce was legally responsible for the breach. However, our data breach attorneys are investigating the BlueForce security breach to determine the potential legal remedies of those affected.

If you have questions about your ability to pursue a data breach class action lawsuit against BlueForce, contact a data breach attorney as soon as possible.

What to Do If You Received a Data Breach Notification from BlueForce

If you receive a data breach notification from BlueForce in the coming weeks, it means your personal data was compromised in the recent cyberattack. It also means a cybercriminal may have had access to—and may have stolen—your personal data. Given the risks involved, it is important you remain vigilant by taking the following steps:

1. Figure Out What Information Was Stolen: Carefully review the data breach letter sent by BlueForce, keeping in mind the information you provided to the company as well as the type of data that was compromised in the breach. You should also take a copy of the data breach letter and keep it for your records. Of course, data breach letters are not always easy to understand. A consumer privacy lawyer can help victims of a data breach understand what was compromised and how to protect themselves.
2. Prevent the Hacker from Accessing Your Accounts: Once you determine the scope of the breach and how it affected you, you should take all steps to prevent cybercriminals from accessing your credit or financial accounts. For example, you should change all passwords and security questions for your online accounts. You should also consider setting up multi-factor authentication where it is available.
3. Protect Your Credit and Your Financial Accounts: In the wake of a data breach, companies usually provide free credit monitoring services for a specified period of time. This is not a gimmick, and you do not give up any rights by taking a company up on their offer. Additionally, you should contact one of the three main credit bureaus to request a copy of your credit report. Even if you do not notice any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity, it is a good idea to request a fraud alert. Fraud alerts are free and serve as a red flag to potential lenders and creditors that your information was compromised.
4. Consider a Credit Freeze: A credit freeze prevents access to your credit report unless you specifically authorize it. Credit freezes are free and last until you remove them. While placing a credit freeze on your accounts may initially seem like a drastic measure, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (“ITRC”), doing so is the “single most effective way to prevent a new credit/financial account from being opened.” However, ITRC reports that just 3% of consumers whose information is leaked place a freeze on their accounts. Once a credit freeze is in place, you can temporarily lift the freeze if you need to apply for any type of credit.
5. Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report and Financial Accounts: Protecting yourself in the wake of a data breach is not a one-time task. You should continually monitor your credit report and all financial accounts, keeping an eye out for any signs of unauthorized activity or fraud. You may also consider calling your banks and credit card companies to report the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach.

If You Have Questions About Your Rights Following the BlueForce Data Breach, Console & Associates, P.C. Can Help

At Console & Associates, P.C., our consumer privacy lawyers monitor all security and data breaches to help affected consumers pursue their legal remedies. We offer free consultations to victims of data breaches and can explain your rights in clear, understandable terms so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed with your case. If you’ve been affected by the Blue Force data breach or any other data security incident, Console & Associates, P.C., will investigate your case at no charge and offer you thorough advice about how to most effectively proceed with your case. If you decide to bring a case, we only get paid if you do. If your claim is successful, any legal fees are either paid by the defendant or come out of the funds recovered from the defendant. If your claim doesn’t result in a recovery, you will pay nothing.

To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.

What Was Sent to Those Affected By the BlueForce Data Breach?

Below is a portion of the initial data breach letter issued by BlueForce:

Dear [Consumer],

BlueForce, Inc. (“BlueForce”) writes to inform you of an incident that may affect the security of some of your personal information. This notice provides information about the incident, our response, and resources available to you to help protect your information from possible misuse, should you feel it necessary to do so.

What Happened? On or about May 4, 2021, BlueForce experienced a disruption to certain computer systems following a sophisticated cyber-attack. BlueForce immediately launched an investigation, working with outside cybersecurity specialists to confirm the security of BlueForce’s system moving forward and the nature and scope of this event. This investigation determined that certain files on BlueForce’s systems could have been subject to unauthorized access on May 4, 2021 but could not confirm which specific data was impacted. As a result, BlueForce then embarked on a diligent and comprehensive review of all data at risk to determine: the full universe of information present in the potentially impacted files; to whom the information related; and accurate mailing addresses for all potentially impacted individuals. On March 8, 2022, BlueForce completed this time intensive review and confirmed that information related to you was potentially impacted by this event.

What Information Was Involved? The following types of your personal information may have been subject to unauthorized access as a result of this incident: name and [Extra1].

What We Are Doing. We take this incident and the security of personal information in our care seriously. Upon learning of this incident, we moved quickly to investigate and respond, to assess the security of relevant systems, and to reset relevant account passwords. As part of our ongoing commitment to the security of information, we are also reviewing and enhancing existing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event.

BlueForce notified law enforcement of this incident and will notify relevant state and federal regulators, as appropriate. We are also offering you access to complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services for ## months through Experian. These services include fraud consultation and identity theft restoration services. If you wish to activate the credit monitoring and identity protection services, you may follow the instructions included in the Steps You Can Take to Protect Personal Information.

What You Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, and to review your account statements and credit reports for suspicious activity. You may also review the information contained in the attached Steps You Can Take to Protect Personal Information. There you will also find more information on the credit monitoring and identity protection services we are making available to you. While BlueForce will cover the cost of these services, you will need to complete the activation process.

For More Information. We understand that you may have questions about this incident that are not addressed in this letter. If you have additional questions, please call our call center at (833) 468-0635 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may have caused.