Recently, 48forty Solutions, LLC confirmed that the company experienced a data breach after an unauthorized party gained access to the company’s computer network and downloaded files containing sensitive consumer information. On May 13, 2022, 48forty filed official notice of the breach and sent out data breach letters to all affected parties.
If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. To learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft and what your legal options are in the wake of the 48forty Solutions data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What We Know About the 48forty Solutions Data Breach
According to an official notice filed by the company, 48forty Solutions recently discovered unusual activity on the company’s computer network. In response, the company launched an investigation into the incident to learn more about its nature and scope, as well as to determine whether any consumer data was leaked as a result.
On December 21, 2021, the company’s investigation revealed an unauthorized party was able to access files on the 48forty network containing sensitive consumer data, and that these files were downloaded by the unauthorized party.
Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, 48forty Solutions then reviewed the affected files to determine exactly what information was compromised. The company completed this review on April 27, 2022; however, it has not yet publicly disclosed the types of information compromised as a result of the breach.
On May 13, 2022, 48forty Solutions sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About 48forty Solutions, LLC
48forty Solutions, LLC is a pallet management services company based in Alpharetta, Georgia. The company operates 231 facilities, which includes 54 company-owned and operated pallet recycling plants and more than 850 partners across the United States. 48forty also owns 5,880 trailers and tractors which the company uses to assist customers nationwide. 48forty Solutions, LLC has more than 2,700 customers and handles more than 142 million pallets per year. 48forty Solutions employs more than 2,400 people and generates approximately $651 million in annual revenue.
Do Businesses Have a Duty to Protect Consumer Data?
Yes, under the United States data breach and consumer protection laws, companies have a duty to consumers to protect the information in their possession. When you provide your information to a business, you may not even think about the security of your information. Most consumers trust the companies that ask for their information, assuming that the company will take the necessary steps to safeguard their data. However, over recent years, the number of data breaches has skyrocketed. As a result, many consumers are now more reluctant to give companies unfettered access to their personal, financial, and healthcare information.
When you provide personal data to a business, non-profit, healthcare provider or any other organization, the organization assumes a duty to you. Of course, this duty prevents the organization from intentionally misusing your data. However, it also requires the organization to implement adequate data security measures to protect your information from other malicious actors, including cybercriminals, hackers and other bad actors.
Most companies do a good job safeguarding consumer data, which is why there is a high level of trust among consumers. However, the duty to maintain sensitive information evolves as the technology hackers have at their fingertips one becomes more sophisticated. Thus, as hackers develop new techniques, organizations must continually update their data security systems to ensure they remain adequate.
If an organization does not maintain an adequate data security system and hackers are able to exploit this weakness, those affected by the breach may be able to pursue a legal claim against the company through a data breach class action lawsuit. Those interested in learning more about bringing a data breach class action lawsuit or the steps they should take to reduce the likelihood of fraud in the wake of a data breach should reach out to a data breach attorney for assistance.
