Recently, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE: ACOR) confirmed that the company experienced a data breach after an unauthorized party gained access to several employee email accounts. According to Acorda, the breach resulted in the following patient data being compromised: names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, diagnosis information, treatment information, clinical information, prescription information, Social Security numbers, financial account information, insurance providers, and treatment cost information. On June 10, 2022, Acorda 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 Acorda Therapeutics data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What We Know About the Acorda Therapeutics Data Breach
According to an official notice filed by the company, in January 2022, Acorda became aware of suspicious activity related to its email system. In response, the company secured its systems and then commenced an investigation into the incident. This investigation confirmed that an unknown party gained access to certain emails on or around December 15, 2021. In response, Acorda reviewed all affected files to determine what, if any, consumer data was contained in the files. The company completed this process in April 2022.
While the leaked information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, date of birth, medical record number, diagnosis information, treatment information, clinical information, prescription information, Social Security number, financial account information, insurance provider, and treatment cost information.
On June 10, 2022, Acorda Therapeutics sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.
More Information About Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotech company based in Ardsley, New York. Acorda focuses on developing therapeutic treatments for various nervous system disorders, including multiple sclerosis. The company currently markets and sells two drugs, AMPYRA® (dalfampridine) and INBRIJA® (levodopa inhalation powder), and has several other drugs in the pipeline. Acorda Therapeutics employs more than 118 people and generates approximately $130 million in annual revenue.
What to Do After a Data Breach Leaks Your Personal Information
Data breaches present major risks to consumers. Thus, it is imperative that victims of a data breach know the steps to take to protect themselves and their personal information.
Carefully Read the “Notice of Data Privacy Event” Sent by the Company
If you were affected by the Acorda Therapeutics breach, the company will have sent you a “Notice of Data Privacy Event” earlier this year. The first thing to do is to carefully review the letter to confirm that your information was involved in the breach and if so, figure out what information was leaked. While any compromised information is concerning, Social Security numbers, financial information, or protected health information are the easiest types of data for hackers to use to commit identity theft and other frauds.
Protect Your Personal Information
The next thing to do after a data breach is to limit access to your online accounts, including healthcare, financial, and social media accounts. You should immediately change all your passwords and security questions for any online accounts. Additionally, if a site permits you to sign up for multi-factor authentication, you should do so. Although this is inconvenient, multi-factor authentication adds an additional layer of protection that makes it harder to access your accounts, even with your personal information in hand.
Enroll in Free Credit Monitoring
After a company reports a data breach, it will usually offer free credit monitoring for a period of time. For example, Acorda is offering affected parties free credit monitoring through Experian. This is not a trick; signing up for this free service does not impact any of your rights to pursue a claim against the company.
Consider Placing a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze
If you suspect that your Social Security number or financial account information was compromised, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit account. You can do so by contacting any of the three major credit reporting agencies. A fraud alert is a free service that requires any business to take additional steps before extending a new line of credit. A credit freeze prevents anyone from accessing your credit report without your approval. Credit freezes last until you remove them; however, you can always allow one-time credit checks if you need to apply for a loan or open a new account.
Continue to Monitor Your Credit Report as well as Bank and Credit Cards Statements
Protecting yourself after a data breach is a longer process than most realize. The information hackers obtain through data breaches doesn’t expire, and while most hackers use the information obtained in a breach as quickly as possible, that isn’t always the case. Thus, it is essential to continually monitor your credit report and financial accounts, keeping an eye out for any signs of fraud or identity theft.
Those data breach victims who have questions about what to do after a data breach or what they have should contact an experienced data breach lawyer for immediate assistance.
