The pharmaceutical company Leiters, Inc. recently reported that the company learned of a data breach impacting certain patients who received medication from the company between 2016 and 2019. As a result of the Leiters data breach, the following data types were compromised: names, addresses, phone numbers, invoice numbers, prescription information, and limited credit or debit card information. On May 23, 2022, Leiters 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 Leiters, Inc. data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

Additional Information About the Leiters, Inc. Data Breach

News of the Leiters data breach is still relatively fresh; thus, most of what we know about the Leiters breach comes from the official filings the company registered with state governments. Evidently, on April 11, 2022, the company learned of unauthorized activity involving some of its computer systems. In response, Leiters contained the incident and then arranged for third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident. This investigation confirmed that an unauthorized person gained access to the Leiters computer network and obtained certain files from our systems between April 6 and April 8, 2022.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Leiters, Inc. then reviewed the affected files to determine exactly what information was compromised. Based on the company’s most recent statements, the affected data includes the names, addresses, phone numbers, invoice numbers, prescription information, and limited credit or debit card information related to mailed prescriptions placed between 2016 and 2019.

On May 23, 2022, Leiters, Inc. sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

More Information About Leiters, Inc.

Leiters, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company based in Englewood, Colorado. The company is a FDA-registered 503B outsourcing provider of compounded sterile preparations, meaning it creates compound medications for medical providers. The medicines and services Leiters provides to its healthcare customers include IV solutions, pre-filled syringes, injections, antibiotics, dilating agents and topical anesthetics. Leiters, Inc. employs more than 164 people and generates approximately $22 million in annual revenue.

How do Hackers Access a Companies’ Secure Databases?

Data breaches can occur in many ways. Some data breaches are the result of a company employee inadvertently sending sensitive consumer information to an unauthorized party, for example, by copying the wrong people on an email. While these events are concerning, the recipient of the information is not necessarily a bad actor. Thus, these breaches are less likely to result in identity theft or other frauds.

However, more often, data breaches are the result of a hacker or cybercriminal bypassing a company’s data security system with the intention of stealing consumer data. One of the most common ways hackers orchestrate a data breach is a ransomware attack. However, phishing and the use of malware are also common. Data breaches that are carried out by hackers are much more serious than those involving the accidental distribution of data because hackers are intentionally seeking out consumer data—often with nefarious purposes in mind.

Once a hacker obtains a victim’s data, they can use that information for their own benefit—by opening up a credit card or bank account, or taking out a loan in the victim’s name. However, often, cybercriminals will post or sell the information on the Dark Web to another party, who then uses the information as they see fit.

The bottom line is that you don’t know whose hands your information ends up in after a data breach. Thus, it is important to take all possible precautions to protect yourself in the wake of a data breach. Those data breach victims who want to learn more about their rights, including filing a data breach class action lawsuit against a company responsible for leaking their information, should reach out to an experienced data breach lawyer.