Recently, Pacific Living Properties, Inc. (“PLP”), Inc. confirmed that the company experienced a data breach after an unauthorized party gained access to the company’s computer network and the sensitive consumer data contained on the network. On May 13, 2022, PLP 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 Pacific Living Properties data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What We Know About the Pacific Living Properties Data Breach

Earlier this month, Pacific Living Properties filed official notice of a data breach. According to the recently filed notice, Pacific Living Properties discovered an incident involving some of its computer systems. In response, PLP engaged in a detailed review of the incident to determine whether any consumer data was leaked as a result.

Through this investigation, the company confirmed that between February 9, 2022 and February 12, 2022 an unauthorized party had access to files on the company’s network containing sensitive consumer data. Once Pacific Living Properties learned of the data breach, it then sought to identify all affected parties—a process the company completed on April 11, 2022.

On May 13, 2022, sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

Pacific Living Properties, Inc. is a property management and real estate development company based out of San Diego, California. The company maintains properties in California, Montana, Washington, and Idaho. Pacific Living Properties employs more than 346 people and generates approximately $91 million in annual revenue.

Can a Company Be Held Accountable Following a Data Breach?

Yes, under the United States data breach laws, those parties who have their personal information exposed in a data breach may be able to file or join a data breach class action lawsuit against the company responsible for the breach. In most data breach lawsuits, victims bring a case under the legal theory of negligence.

In the context of data breach claims, there are a few ways a victim might go about proving a company’s negligence. For example, the following describes a few of the situations in which a company’s negligence can lead to a data breach:

• A company fails to implement adequate data security measures or relies an outdated data security system;

• A company mistakenly transmits consumer information to an unauthorized party;

• A company employee fails to follow the proper procedures when handling consumer data; or

• An employee responds to a phishing attack, either by clicking on a link or providing sensitive information to an unauthorized party.

Of course, these are just a few of the ways in which a company’s oversight can result in a data breach—there are many more. Those who have questions about whether a particular company can be held financially liable for a data breach should reach out to a dedicated data breach lawyer for immediate assistance.