Lawsuit Investigation: Allegheny County Data Breach
Last Updated on August 8, 2023
Investigation Complete
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have finished their investigation into this matter.
Check back for any potential updates and take a look at our open investigations here. The information on this page is for reference only.
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects:
- Anyone who received a notice that their information may have been compromised in the
- What’s Going On?
- Allegheny County has reported that a data breach targeting a widely used file transfer platform, MOVEit, has compromised files containing personal information belonging to an estimated 967,690 individuals. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are now looking into whether a class action lawsuit can be filed on behalf of victims.
- How Could a Lawsuit Help?
- A class action lawsuit could potentially help impacted individuals get money back for any damages they’ve experienced as a result of the data breach. It could also force Allegheny County and its third-party vendors to improve their data security practices.
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org want to hear from anyone whose data may have been compromised in a May 2023 data breach impacting Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The government entity reported in late July 2023 that it too had fallen victim to a global cybersecurity incident impacting a popular and widely used file transfer tool known as MOVEit. It has been reported that nearly a million consumers are affected by the incident impacting Allegheny County specifically, with information as sensitive as Social Security numbers and medical information being leaked.
Now, it’s being investigated whether Allegheny County and its vendors took appropriate steps to safeguard consumers’ private information and, if not, whether a class action lawsuit can be filed on behalf of those affected.
Unsure whether you are affected? You can find out by contacting Allegheny County’s dedicated call center at 1-888-990-1333 where representatives will be available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Allegheny County, MOVEit Data Breach: What Happened?
According to a notice posted on Allegheny County’s website, the government entity became aware on June 1, 2023 that a tool it uses to send and receive data suffered from a software vulnerability. A group of cybercriminals known as Cl0p reportedly exploited this vulnerability and were able to obtain county files between May 28 and May 29, 2023.
DataEconomy.com says that in mid-June, the Russian-linked hacker group began listing impacted organizations on its dark web leak site and threatening to post batches of data if they failed to meet its ransom demands.
Allegheny County reports, however, that since the onset of the breach, “Cl0p has maintained that it is focused on targeting businesses and that it will delete any data from certain organizations, including governments.”
Still, the county is encouraging individuals to take certain steps to make sure their personal information is protected despite reporting that Cl0p has indicated it has “deleted data specifically belonging to Allegheny County.”
According to a lawsuit against the companies behind the MOVEit file transfer tool, “several hundred” businesses and organizations in the United States may have been impacted by the hacking campaign. This includes airlines, media companies, government agencies, insurance companies and more.
What Information Was Compromised in the Allegheny County Data Breach?
Allegheny County reports that information compromised in the data breach varies by individual and may include any of the following:
- Names
- Social Security numbers
- Birth dates
- Driver’s license numbers
- State identification numbers
- Taxpayer identification numbers
- Student identification numbers
- Medical information (diagnoses, treatment types, admission dates, etc.)
- Health insurance information
- Billing and claim information
How Could a Lawsuit Help Data Breach Victims?
If successful, a lawsuit could provide compensation for:
- Reimbursement for lost time spent responding to the breach (e.g., monitoring accounts, placing credit freezes or alerts, addressing fraudulent transactions)
- Reimbursement for out-of-pocket losses resulting from the breach (e.g., money spent on preventative measures or lost to fraudulent transactions)
- Compensation for loss of privacy
- Credit monitoring and/or identity theft protection services
A lawsuit could also force Allegheny County and its vendors to implement stronger data security practices to protect consumers’ information from future attacks.
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