Posted On October 8, 2022 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
On October 3, 2022, Mativ Holdings, Inc. filed a notice of a data breach with several state attorneys general offices after an unauthorized party blocked the company’s access to part of its network. Based on the company’s official filing, the incident resulted in an unauthorized party gaining access to consumers’ names, dates of birth, medical information, financial account numbers, and Social Security numbers. After confirming that consumer data was leaked, Mativ began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk. The data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. are actively investigating the Mativ data breach on behalf of people whose information was exposed. As a part of this investigation, we are providing free consultations to anyone affected by the breach who is interested in learning more about the risks of identity theft, what they can do to protect themselves, and what their legal options may be to obtain compensation from Mativ Holdings, Inc.
Most of the information regarding the Mativ Holdings breach comes from the company’s filing with the Attorney General of Massachusetts. According to the company’s official filing with the state AG’s office, Mativ Holdings recently learned that an unauthorized party was able to gain access to portions of the company’s network during June and July of 2022.
In response, Mativ launched a series of investigations to determine the nature and scope of the incident, as well as whether it affected the security of any consumer information on the company’s servers. The investigation confirmed that the files which were accessible to the unauthorized party contained sensitive information belonging to some “employees of the legacy Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (“SWM”) and Scapa Group, Ltd. (“Scapa”) companies within the Mativ Holdings, Inc. group.”
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Mativ Holdings began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which employees were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, date of birth, medical information, financial account information, and Social Security number.
On October 3, 2022, Mativ Holdings sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
Mativ Holdings, Inc., formerly Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., is a specialty materials company based in Alpharetta, Georgia. Through two operating segments, Advanced Technical Materials and Fiber-Based Solutions, the company produces components designed for use in the following applications: filtration, healthcare, release liners, industrials, packaging and specialty paper, and engineered papers. The company maintains operations throughout the world, with locations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Mativ Holdings employs more than 5,000 people and generates approximately $1.6 billion in annual revenue.
Yes, employers are responsible for protecting employee information, and, in certain circumstances, employees can hold an employer liable following a data breach. However, the mere fact that a breach occurred does not automatically result in employer liability. As a general rule, employers are only financially responsible for breaches that were the result of the company’s negligence.
When it comes to data breaches, successfully bringing a claim requires an employee to prove,
In most cases, the first element of the negligence analysis doesn’t present much of a hurdle because it’s commonly understood that employers owe employees a duty to protect their information. However, determining that an employer’s negligence was the cause of or a contributing factor to a breach is more challenging.
To be sure, data breaches are criminal acts carried out by third parties. Clearly, employers do not intend to leak employee information, and employers are not the ones who orchestrate these attacks. However, just because a criminal carried out the attack doesn’t mean that an employer can’t be held liable. This is because employers have a legal duty to protect employee data by implementing an adequate data security system. And whether an employer has a data-security system isn’t necessarily the end of the inquiry because the sufficiency of an employer’s system can be called into question.
When you decided to go to work for Mativ Holdings, you trusted the company to keep your sensitive information safe. However, news of the recent data breach may cause you to question these assumptions. If you have questions about the Mativ data breach and want to learn more about your legal options, including the possibility of bringing a data breach claim against Mativ, contact an experienced data breach lawyer for immediate assistance.
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 Mativ 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.
Below is a copy of the initial data breach letter issued by Mativ Holdings, Inc. (the actual notice sent to consumers can be found here):
Dear [Redacted],
We are writing to share with you important information regarding a data incident that potentially involved your personal information. We take this incident very seriously and are providing you with information, as well as access to resources, so that you can better protect your personal information and diligently monitor your accounts.
Through recent investigations, it has become apparent that for a period of time during June and July of this year, an unauthorized person blocked our access to parts of our network and systems and may have resulted in unauthorized access to the personal information of certain employees of the legacy Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (“SWM”) and Scapa Group, Ltd. (“Scapa”) companies within the Mativ Holdings, Inc. group.
The investigation was unable to determine what personal information the unauthorized person actually viewed. In an abundance of caution, we reviewed the data potentially accessed by an unauthorized person and, on August 12, 2022, determined that the unauthorized person may have accessed certain personal information, which may have included the following: date of birth, limited medical information, financial account number, and Social Security number. While we are not aware of any identity fraud or improper use of any personal information directly resulting from this incident, out of an abundance of caution, we have arranged to have Equifax provide you with two (2) years of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
We recommend that you remain vigilant by regularly reviewing and monitoring all of your account statements and credit history to guard against any unauthorized transactions or activity. If you discover any suspicious or unusual activity on your accounts, please contact your financial institution. We have provided additional information below, which contains more information about steps you can take to protect yourself against fraud and identity theft.
Regularly review and monitor all of your account statements and credit history to guard against any unauthorized transactions or activity.
Contact your financial institution immediately if you discover any suspicious or unusual activity on your accounts.
Do not save login/financial credentials in browsers, and keep credentials in a secure location.
Be careful about information you post online, and restrict access to your personal details on social media. Ensure you have enabled the privacy safeguards on your devices and social media accounts, and keep them enabled.
Do not access online banking or other sensitive information from public or shared network computers.
Use only secure networks to conduct work or other important or sensitive transactions.
When shopping online, or visiting websites for online banking or other sensitive transactions, always make sure that the website’s address starts with “https”, instead of just “http”, and has a padlock icon in the URL field.
We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause you. If you have any questions about this notice or the incident, please contact the telephone support center at 888- 414-0810 which is available Monday through Friday, 9am – 9pm Eastern time.
Thank you for your understanding.
