Greylock McKinnon Associates Hit with Class Action Over Data Breach Affecting 341K People

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A proposed class action alleges that lax cybersecurity practices on the part of Greylock McKinnon Associates (GMA) resulted in a data breach discovered by the consulting firm in May 2023.

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The 40-page Greylock McKinnon Associates data breach lawsuit says the personal information of more than 341,000 individuals was compromised in the cyberattack that targeted the firm, which provides economic analysis and litigation support for business and government clients, such as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

According to the data breach suit, the exposed information may have included clients’ names, Social Security or individual taxpayer identification numbers, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, driver's license or state ID numbers, Medicare beneficiary identifiers, medical information and health insurance details.

The case contends that by obtaining and using consumers’ private data, the firm was legally obligated to protect the information from falling into the hands of unauthorized third parties.

However, despite its duty, the defendant failed to implement adequate data security protocols and stored the sensitive information unencrypted and unredacted in its computer systems, the complaint alleges. As the filing tells it, GMA could have prevented the data breach entirely had it properly encrypted its servers and the personal information stored therein.

The plaintiff, an Ohio resident whose personal data was provided to the firm by the DOJ in connection with a civil litigation matter, says she received notice in early April 2024 informing her that her private information had been exposed in the breach. Like other data breach victims, the woman now faces a heightened and ongoing risk of being targeted for cybercrimes, such as identity theft and fraud, the case asserts.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States whose private information was compromised in the Greylock McKinnon Associates data breach.

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