Recently, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. (“PAR”) reported a data breach after an unauthorized user gained access to a legacy database containing sensitive consumer data. According to the PAR, the breach resulted in the names, addresses and Social Security numbers of affected parties being compromised. On May 19, 2022, PAR officially reported the data breach to various state governments and began providing notice of the breach 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 PAR, Inc. data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What We Know About the PAR, Inc. Data Breach

Based on the information currently available, PAR recently learned that an unauthorized user was able to access some of the company’s computer systems. Evidently, the unauthorized user gained access to an old database containing information pertaining to historical financial transactions.

After learning about the unauthorized access, Par launched an investigation into the incident. This investigation confirmed that the unauthorized access occurred on or about March 21, 2022. Once PAR learned of the data security incident, the company terminated access and continued its investigation into the incident.

Subsequently, PAR learned that the database that was accessible to the unauthorized party contained sensitive consumer data, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers.

On May 19, 2022, PAR, 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 Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. is a company that publishes a range of psychological assessment tools practitioners can use to make treatment decisions for their patients. The company was founded in 1978 and is currently based in Lutz, Florida. PAR, Inc. employs more than 88 people and brings in annual revenue of approximately $17 million.

When Is a Company Responsible for a Data Breach?

United States data breach laws provide a way for data breach victims to file or join a data breach class action lawsuit against the company responsible for the breach. As a general rule, a company may be financially liable to victims following a data breach if victims of the breach can prove that the company negligently handled their information.

There are many ways a company can be negligent with regard to the consumer data in its possession. For example, below are a few of the ways a company’s negligence can lead to a data breach:

• The organization does not have an adequate data security system;

• The organization mistakenly transmits consumer information to an unauthorized party;

• The organization stores sensitive data outside the protections of its data security system;

• One of the organization’s employees fails to follow the proper procedures when handling consumer data; or

• One of the organization’s employees inadvertently provides sensitive consumer data to an unauthorized party in response to a phishing attack.

Of course, there are many other ways that a company may be negligent in how it stores consumer data. Data breach victims who have questions about whether a particular company was responsible for a data breach should reach out to a dedicated data breach lawyer for immediate assistance.