Recently, Condor Earth Technologies, Inc. (“Condor Earth”) confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to an employee's email account, compromising the sensitive data of certain individuals, including their Social Security numbers.

If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk. More about our investigation into this breach, and what you can do if your data was stolen, is available here.

“I speak to data breach victims almost every day, and many don’t fully grasp the impact a breach can have,” attorney Richard P. Console, Jr. said. “Once your sensitive personal data falls into the hands of cybercriminals, you have a much higher risk of identity theft for the rest of your life. If a company allows your personal data to be stolen, holding that company accountable through a class action lawsuit may be the only way to obtain fair compensation and to send a message to other companies to be more careful.”

On average, victims of identity theft spend 200 hours and over $1,300 recovering their identity. Many victims also suffer emotional distress, incur credit damage, discover loans taken out in their name without their knowledge, and may even end up with a criminal record for crimes they did not commit. Taking immediate action is the best way to prevent the worst consequences of a data breach.

What We Know So Far About the Condor Earth Technologies Data Breach

According to an official filing by the company, on December 13, 2021, Condor Earth became aware of suspicious activity relating to an employee’s email account. In response, the company launched an internal investigation to learn more about the nature and scope of the incident. This investigation revealed that between November 24, 2021 and December 13, 2021, the unauthorized party had access to the employee’s email account.

Upon learning of the extent of the security breach, Condor Earth Technologies then reviewed the affected account to determine what information was compromised. While the compromised information varies based on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, driver's license/state identification number, financial account number, routing number, treatment information/diagnosis, provider name, medical record number, and health insurance information.

On March 30, 2022, Condor Earth Technologies began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

Condor Earth Technologies, Inc. was originally founded in 1983 as Condor Minerals Management, a company that geologic and permitting services to the mining industry. In 1992, the company changed its name to Condor Earth Technologies. Today, Condor Earth provides geotechnical, civil, public works, environmental, and risk management services, as well as industrial compliance, property environmental assessments and drone UAF video, photography and photogrammetry. Condor Earth has approximately 219 employees and generates roughly $42 million in annual revenue.

More About the Causes and Risks of Data Breaches

Often, data breaches are the result of a hacker gaining unauthorized access to a company’s computer systems with the intention of obtaining sensitive consumer information. While no one can know the reason why a hacker targeted Condor Earth, it is common for hackers and other criminals to identify those companies believed to have weak data security systems or vulnerabilities in their networks.

Once a cybercriminal gains access to a computer network, they can then access and remove any data stored on the compromised servers. While in most cases a company experiencing a data breach can identify which files were accessible, there may be no way for the company to tell which files the hacker actually accessed or whether they removed any data.

While the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach does not necessarily mean it will be used for criminal purposes, being the victim of a data breach puts your sensitive data in the hands of an unauthorized person. As a result, you are at an increased risk of identity theft and other frauds, and criminal use of your information is a possibility that should not be ignored.

Given this reality, individuals who receive a Condor Earth Technologies data breach notification should take the situation seriously and remain vigilant in checking for any signs of unauthorized activity. Businesses like Condor Earth are responsible for protecting the consumer data in their possession. If evidence emerges that Condor Earth failed to adequately protect your sensitive information, you may be eligible for financial compensation through a data breach lawsuit.

What Are Consumers’ Remedies in the Wake of the Condor Earth Data Breach?

When customers decided to do business with Condor Earth, they assumed that the company would take their privacy concerns seriously. And it goes without saying that consumers would think twice before giving a company access to their information if they knew it wasn’t going to be secure. Thus, data breaches such as this one raise questions about the adequacy of a company’s data security system.

When a business, government entity, non-profit organization, school, or any other organization accepts and stores consumer data, it also accepts a legal obligation to ensure this information remains private. The United States data breach laws allow consumers to pursue civil data breach claims against organizations that fail to protect their information.

Of course, given the recency of the Condor Earth Technologies data breach, the investigation into the incident is still in its early stages. And, as of right now, there is not yet any evidence suggesting Condor Earth is legally responsible for the breach. However, that could change as additional information about the breach and its causes is revealed.

If you have questions about your ability to bring a data breach class action lawsuit against Condor Earth Technologies, reach out to a data breach attorney as soon as possible.

What Should You Do if You Receive a Condor Earth Technologies Data Breach Notification?

If Condor Earth Technologies sends you a data breach notification letter, you are among those whose information was compromised in the recent breach. While this isn’t a time to panic, the situation warrants your attention. Below are a few important steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft and other fraudulent activity:

1. Identify What Information Was Compromised: The first thing to do after learning of a data breach is to carefully review the data breach letter sent. The letter will tell you what information of yours was accessible to the unauthorized party. Be sure to make a copy of the letter and keep it for your records. If you have trouble understanding the letter or what steps you can take to protect yourself, a data breach lawyer can help.

2. Limit Future Access to Your Accounts: Once you determine what information of yours was affected by the breach, the safest play is to assume that the hacker orchestrating the attack stole your data. While this may not be the case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. To prevent future access to your accounts, you should change all passwords and security questions for any online account. This includes online banking accounts, credit card accounts, online shopping accounts, and any other account containing your personal information. You should also consider changing your social media account passwords and setting up multi-factor authentication where it is available.

3. Protect Your Credit and Your Financial Accounts: After a data breach, companies often provide affected parties with free credit monitoring services. Signing up for the free credit monitoring offers some significant protections and doesn’t impact any of your rights to pursue a data breach lawsuit against the company if it turns out they were legally responsible for the breach. You should contact a credit bureau to request a copy of your credit report—even if you do not notice any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity. Adding a fraud alert to your account will provide you with additional protection.

4. Consider Implementing a Credit Freeze: A credit freeze prevents anyone from accessing your credit report. Credit freezes are free and stay in effect until you remove them. Once a credit freeze is in place, you can temporarily lift the freeze if you need to apply for any type of credit. While placing a credit freeze on your accounts may seem like overkill, given the risks involved, it’s justified. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (“ITRC”), placing a credit freeze on your account is the “single most effective way to prevent a new credit/financial account from being opened.” However, just 3% of data breach victims place a freeze on their accounts.

5. Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report and Financial Accounts: Protecting yourself in the wake of a data breach requires an ongoing effort on your part. You should regularly check your credit report and all financial account statements, looking for any signs of unauthorized activity or fraud. You should also call your banks and credit card companies to report the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach.

Below is a copy of the initial data breach letter issued by Condor Earth Technologies, Inc.:

Dear [Consumer],

Condor Earth Technologies, Inc. writes to notify you of an incident that may affect the privacy of certain information provided to us. We take this incident very seriously and are providing you information about the incident, our response, and steps you can take to help protect your information.

What Happened: On December 13, 2021, we discovered unusual activity in an employee’s email account. We immediately began an investigation, which included working with third-party specialists to determine the nature and scope of the activity. The investigation determined there was unauthorized access to the account between November 24, 2021 and December 13, 2021. Our investigation was unable to confirm if specific information within the email account was accessed; therefore, in an abundance of caution, we conducted a review of the contents of the account to determine the type of information contained therein. On March 10, 2022, we completed our review and began confirming address information to provide notice of this incident.

What Information Was Involved: The type of information in the account included the following: <><>.

What We Are Doing: In response to this incident, we changed email account passwords and are reviewing our policies and procedures related to data protection. Additionally, although we have no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of your information as a result of this incident, we are providing you access to 12 months of identity monitoring services through Kroll at no cost to you.

What You Can Do: We encourage you to activate the complimentary identity monitoring services we are providing you. Instructions about how to activate these services and additional resources available to you are included in the enclosed Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Your Information.

For More Information: We understand you may have questions about this incident. You may contact our dedicated assistance line at 1-???-???-????, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time (excluding major U.S. holidays), or write to us at P.O. Box 3905, Sonora, CA 95370. We sincerely regret any concern this incident may cause you. The privacy and security of information is important to us, and we will continue to take steps to protect information in our care.