On March 1, 2024, Whitley Penn filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Massachusetts after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access an employee’s email account. In this notice, Whitley Penn explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, Social Security numbers, K-1 visa information, taxpayer identification numbers, banking account information, PIN numbers, and financial information. Upon completing its investigation, Whitley Penn began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you receive a data breach notification from Whitley Penn, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Whitley Penn data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Whitley Penn Data Breach?

The Whitley Penn data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Whitley Penn’s filing with the Attorney General of Massachusetts provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on October 31, 2023, Whitley Penn detected suspicious activity within an employee’s email account. In response, Whitley Penn secured its network and then launched an investigation with the help of third-party data security experts.

Ultimately, the Whitley Penn investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party had gained access to the employee email account, including files containing confidential consumer information.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Whitley Penn reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. Whitley Penn completed this process on November 1, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number, passport number, Social Security number, K-1 visa information, taxpayer identification number, banking account information, PIN number, and financial information.

On March 1, 2024, Whitley Penn sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Whitley Penn

Founded in 1983, Whitley Penn is an accounting firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Whitley Penn offers a wide range of accounting-related services, including tax preparation, employee benefits, estate and gift planning, IRS controversies, and forensic, litigation & valuation services. Whitley Penn employs more than 550 people and generates approximately $113 million in annual revenue.