Class Action Claims Mercer University Failed to Prevent Data Breach Affecting Over 93K Individuals

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A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Mercer University, a private research school in Georgia, of failing to protect the personal information of over 93,000 individuals from a cyberattack in April of this year.

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According to the 39-page lawsuit, an unauthorized third party gained access to Mercer University’s information network on April 5, compromising the highly sensitive and private data stored there, which included individuals’ names, Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.

The suit argues that the university failed to implement appropriate cybersecurity measures to safeguard the information housed in its network and could have prevented the breach by properly encrypting its servers and the valuable data stored inside.

Though Mercer University claims to have discovered the ransomware attack in early April, it delayed notifying victims until more than a month later, the case alleges. In addition, the notices themselves provided little more than basic details about the breach, insofar that impacted individuals remain “in the dark” with respect to what precise information was stolen, how the network was accessed and what steps are being taken to protect the data in the future, the complaint shares.

As the filing tells it, the university’s negligent conduct is “exacerbated by repeated warnings” to secure valuable data against the increasing number of cyberattacks in recent years. Mercer University failed to take adequate precautions and bolster its data security despite these well-publicized threats, the lawsuit argues.

The plaintiff, a Georgia resident and Mercer University alumnus, received notice on May 19 that his personal information had been compromised in the breach, the suit says. In the days following the letter, the man discovered fraudulent charges to his credit card, the case reports.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States whose personal and/or financial information was exposed to unauthorized third parties as a result of the Mercer University data breach in April 2023.

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