Recently, FCI Constructors, Inc. confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to the sensitive information of as many as 2,117 current and former employees following a data security incident.

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.

Last year, 1,862 data breaches affected more than 189 million people. On average, victims of identity theft spend 200 hours and over $1,300 recovering their identity. Many victims also suffer emotional distress, credit damage, and may even end up with a criminal record. Taking immediate action is the best way to prevent the worst consequences of a data breach.

What We Know So Far About the FCI Constructors Data Breach

FCI Constructors is a construction company based in Grand Junction, Colorado. The company was founded in 1978, and in 1986 expanded operations to include Arizona and the surrounding areas, including parts of New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming. FCI Constructors, Inc. has approximately 400 current employees and generates annual revenue of roughly $99 million. The company works on a wide range of construction projects, including schools, affordable housing, airports, municipal buildings and office space.

According to an official filing by the company, on May 1, 2021, FCI Constructors detected a network security threat. In response, the company investigated the incident to determine whether any consumer information was compromised as a result. The investigation revealed that an unauthorized party had access to the sensitive information of certain current and former employees on April 27, 2021. While the compromised information varies by consumer, it may include your first and last name, mailing address, date of birth, Social Security number, and health insurance information.

On March 9, 2022, FCI Constructors began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

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 FCI Constructors, 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 an FCI Constructors data breach notification should take the situation seriously and remain vigilant in checking for any signs of unauthorized activity. Businesses like FCI Constructors are responsible for protecting the consumer data in their possession. If evidence emerges that FCI Constructors 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 FCI Constructors Data Breach?

When customers decided to do business with FCI Constructors, 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 FCI Constructors 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 FCI Constructors 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 FCI Constructors, reach out to a data breach attorney as soon as possible.

What Should You Do if You Receive an FCI Constructors Data Breach Notification?

If FCI Constructors 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 FCI Constructors, Inc.:

Dear [Consumer],

As your current or former employer, we are writing in order to inform you of an incident that may have exposed your sensitive personal information. We take the security of your personal information seriously, and want to provide you with information and resources you can use to protect your information.

What Happened and What Information was Involved:

On May 1, 2021, we detected and stopped a network security incident. We immediately engaged third-party forensic specialists to assist us with securing the network environment, and then investigating the extent of any unauthorized activity. Our investigation determined an unauthorized third party may have accessed some individual personal information.

We have found no evidence that your information has been specifically misused, however, it is possible that the following personal information could have been compromised by an unauthorized third party: first and last name, mailing address, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, and Health Insurance Information.

What We Are Doing:

Upon detecting this incident, we moved quickly to initiate a response, which included conducting an investigation with the assistance of IT specialists and confirming the security of our network environment. We have also reviewed and altered our policies, procedures, and network security software relating to the security of our systems and servers, as well as our information life cycle management.

We value the safety of your personal information and are providing you with access to Single Bureau Credit Monitoring* services at no charge. These services provide you with alerts for twelve months from the date of enrollment when changes occur to your credit file. This notification is sent to you the same day that the change or update takes place with the bureau. In addition, we are providing you with proactive fraud assistance to help with any questions that you might have, or in the event you become a victim of identity theft. These services will be provided by Cyberscout, a company specializing in fraud assistance and remediation services.

What You Can Do:

To enroll in Credit Monitoring* services at no charge, please log on to https://www.myidmanager.com and follow the instructions provided. When prompted please provide the following unique code to receive services: . Cyberscout is available Monday through Friday, 6:00am – 6:00pm MST. Please note the deadline to enroll is June 7, 2022.

At this time there is no evidence that your information has been misused. However, we encourage you to take full advantage of this service offering. Cyberscout representatives have been fully versed on the incident and can answer questions or concerns you may have regarding protection of your personal information.

Enclosed you will find additional information regarding the resources available to you, and the steps that you can take to further protect your personal information.

For More Information:

We recognize that you may have questions not addressed in this letter. If you have additional questions, please call Cyberscout at 1-800-405-6108, Monday through Friday, 6:00am – 6:00pm MST.

We value the security of the personal data that we protect, and we apologize for any inconvenience that this incident has caused.