Posted On March 10, 2023 Consumer Privacy & Data Breaches
March 10, 2023 – On March 8, 2023, DC Health Link announced that the company had recently been the victim of a cybersecurity incident that might have exposed the personal data of thousands of individuals who registered for healthcare through DC Health Link. Preliminary accounts suggest that the breach may have exposed a variety of information about the affected parties, including names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, emails, and more.
Understanding what is at risk is crucial if you get a data breach notification. Console & Associates, P.C.’s data breach lawyers are looking into the DC Health Link data breach on behalf of those whose information was compromised. We are offering free consultations as part of this investigation to anyone who has been impacted by the breach and is curious about the dangers of identity theft, how they can defend themselves, and what legal options they may have to seek compensation from DC Health Link.
Members of the U.S. House, their staff, and their families’ health insurance policies are managed by DC Health Link. Washington D.C. residents can also apply for and enroll in ObamaCare health insurance through DC Health Link.
According to different news reports that have covered the DC Health Link incident claim that on March 8, 2023, DC Health Link notified Senate and House Members of a data breach, stating that the organization “suffered a significant data breach yesterday potentially exposing the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of thousands of enrollees.”
The incident is being looked into by Capitol Police, DC Health Link, and the FBI. However, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) write in a joint letter that “the size and scope of the impacted House customers could be extraordinary” despite the fact that “the cause, size, and scope of the data breach affecting DC Health Link could not be determined by the FBI.”
As of now, material obtained from DC Health Link’s servers appears to be being sold on a Dark Web forum by at least one unauthorized party. Although the hacker asserts to possess private information pertaining to 170,000 people, it is still unknown how much the DC Health Link data breach affected residents who had registered for or applied for healthcare through the DC Health Link. Names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and emails are among the data types reportedly stolen in the assault.
In order to steal customer data, a hacker or other criminal actor typically circumvents a company’s data protection system. Once they have taken information, criminals can use it to commit various frauds, including identity theft. Thus, the parties who are primarily accountable for these assaults are hackers. Finding a hacker after a breach is difficult, and even if you do, it might not be worthwhile to file a lawsuit against them because they might not have the resources to pay for a ruling if you win.
It’s not as simple as laying sole responsibility for a data breach on the hacker who committed the assault, though. A business that was the target of a cyberattack may be held accountable for paying damages to victims of a breach under U.S. data breach laws.
A company that is the victim of a data breach is a victim in some respects. However, the organizations that have access to customer data are also the first and last lines of defense against hacking. Because of this, it frequently happens that the only “innocent victims” of a data leak are the customers whose personal data is obtained by criminals.
State and federal laws require businesses to take specific precautions when they request or agree to store consumer information in recognition of this fact. As a result, in some situations, the business that was attacked could be held accountable for the harm suffered by a victim.
Here are just a few examples of how a business could handle customer data carelessly:
Companies that store customer data are required by law to maintain such data safe and secure under US data breach regulations. So, following a breach, businesses that handle customer data carelessly risk facing financial liability. The regulations governing these claims are undoubtedly complicated, and it isn’t always simple to ascertain whether a firm was careless prior to a breach. So, anyone who is interested in knowing more about data breach claims should seek the advice of a data breach lawyer.
The consumer privacy lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. help customers affected by data and security breaches pursue legal solutions by offering free consultations. By explaining your rights in clear, concise terms, we help you make an informed decision about your next steps. If you are a victim of the DC Health Link data breach, Console & Associates, P.C. will investigate at no charge to you and offer advice on how to proceed. If you decide to pursue a case, rest assured that we don’t get paid unless you do. If your claim is successful, legal fees are either paid out of the funds recovered or by the defendant. If your claim is not successful, you pay nothing.
To schedule your free consultation, just call (866) 778-5500 today or fill out our secure contact form.
