Posted On February 3, 2022 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
February 3, 2022 – Recently, Seneca of Family Agencies announced that the personal, identifying, and health information of approximately 25,610 individuals was compromised in a data breach. Our data breach attorneys are investigating this cybersecurity incident to determine if consumers could have the grounds for a data breach class action lawsuit.
The company recently reported that, between August 25, 2021, and August 27, 2021, an unauthorized party gained access to certain files on its servers. A subsequent investigation revealed that the files may have contained the following information:
According to reports, Seneca of Family Agencies does not know which individuals’ information was actually accessed and cannot confirm that the unauthorized party retained any of the information.
However, anyone in receipt of a Seneca of Family Agencies data breach notification letter may now face an increased risk of identity theft and other financial losses. Attorneys are now investigating this recent cybersecurity incident to determine whether the company took the necessary steps to keep your data secure and whether those impacted by the breach can pursue a data breach class action lawsuit.
A data breach occurs when a hacker or other unauthorized party secretly gains access to sensitive consumer information stored on a company’s servers through some kind of cyberattack. Once a hacker obtains consumer data, they may use the information to commit identity theft or for other criminal purposes. Sometimes hackers will sell the data they obtain through a cyberattack to the highest bidder.
No one can tell with certainty why a hacker targeted your data in a data breach or what they plan to do with it, but the fact that your sensitive information is in the hands of an unauthorized party puts you at a greater risk of identity theft.
As consumers, we all provide personal data to companies for a variety of reasons. We trust these companies to protect our private data and keep this information secure. Unfortunately, data breaches happen frequently.
Attorneys are investigating data events like this security breach to determine the legal rights of consumers who trusted corporations with their sensitive information. Often, hackers target companies that rely on outdated or otherwise inadequate data-security measures. If it is determined that Seneca of Family Agencies did, in fact, fail to properly protect consumers’ data in some way, the individuals affected may be eligible to pursue compensation for their financial losses.
If you received a data breach letter from the company that experienced a security incident, it means that an unauthorized person—likely a criminal—may have accessed, viewed, and retained your personal information. While the company cannot know why the third party sought out your information and what they plan to do with it, the situation justifies a certain level of precaution on your part.
Below are a few ways to protect yourself from identity theft and the other possible financial risks that can stem from a data breach:
To protect and preserve their legal rights, it is highly recommended that individuals who received notice that their data may have been compromised immediately reach out to an experienced data breach attorney.
Companies have an ethical and legal duty to protect consumers’ personal, identifying, and health information. While developing and implementing a comprehensive and up-to-date data-security system is costly, this is a necessary cost of doing business in an environment where cyberattacks and data breaches are common.
Data breach laws are complex, and just because your information may have been accessed while in Seneca of Family Agencies’ care doesn’t necessarily make this company legally responsible. However, if a company fails to take appropriate actions to protect consumers’ sensitive information, it may face liability through a data breach class action lawsuit.
If you received a data breach notification letter, it is important that you not only protect yourself from possible fraud but also preserve your legal rights by speaking to a data breach attorney. Consumer privacy lawyers are undertaking investigations in legal matters involving all types of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and cyberattacks on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Find a copy of the data breach letter here.
Notice of Data Breach
Dear [RECIPIENT]:
Seneca Family of Agencies (“Seneca”) provides services to families in our communities and writes to notify you of an incident that may affect the privacy of your information. This letter includes information about the incident, our response, and resources we are making available to you.
What Happened: On August 27, 2021, we experienced a network disruption that impacted our ability to access certain files on our network. We immediately reported the incident to law enforcement and began working with computer specialists to determine what occurred. Our investigation determined that information stored on our network was accessed between August 25 and August 27, 2021. Although we have no evidence of misuse of information as a result of this incident, our investigation was unable to definitively rule out access to certain information. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, we are notifying individuals with information stored on our network.
What Information Was Involved: The type of information stored on our network may have included your name and the following data elements: <>.
What We Are Doing: Upon discovering this incident, we immediately began an investigation and took steps to further protect our network. We are also providing potentially impacted individuals with access to 12 months of credit monitoring and identity protection services through Equifax.
What You Can Do: We encourage you to enroll in the credit monitoring and identity protection services we are making available to you. Information about how to enroll in these services along with additional resources available to you are included in the attached “Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Information.”
For More Information: We understand you may have questions about this incident. You may contact our dedicated assistance line at 855-675-2841, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, (excluding major U.S. holidays) or write to us at 8945 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605.
We sincerely regret any concern this incident may cause you. The privacy and security of information is important to us, and we will continue to take steps to protect information in our care.
