Data Breach at Southern Orthopaedic Associates Prompts Investigation into Class Action Lawsuit

MARLTON, N.J. - Jan. 17, 2022 - PRLog -- Console & Associates, P.C., recently indicated that the firm is looking into the recent Southern Orthopaedic Associates data breach to determine what, if any, legal remedies those individuals who were affected by the breach may have against the organization. If evidence emerges that Southern Orthopaedic Associates did not maintain adequate data security to protect against this type of breach or otherwise mishandled sensitive consumer information, those in receipt of a data breach notification from Southern Orthopaedic Associates may be able to pursue a class action lawsuit against the organization.

The Southern Orthopaedic Associates data breach is just one example of many alarming cyberattacks in recent months. The information accessed through a data breach is often either retained by the party conducting the cyberattack or sold to another party. In either case, the party in possession of the information often uses it to commit identity theft or for other criminal purposes.  While the investigation is ongoing, and there is not yet any indication that Southern Orthopaedic Associates was negligent in the handling of consumer data, the breach raises questions about the company's efforts to keep consumer data secure. If it turns out that Southern Orthopaedic Associates mishandled or failed to protect sensitive consumer data, the organization may be required to pay financial damages to those affected.

The founder of Console & Associates, P.C., Attorney Richard Console, explains, "It's easy to place all the blame for a data breach on the person who hacks into a company's system; however, this ignores the legal and moral obligation businesses owe to their customers. When someone gives a company their business, they trust that the information in the company's possession will remain private—and out of the hands of criminals. While protecting consumer data requires a business to undergo some effort and expense, in our current environment of widespread hacking, this is a cost of doing business that all companies must take seriously."

On July 7, 2021, Southern Orthopaedic Associates first noticed unusual activity related to an employee's email account. The organization enlisted the assistance of an outside computer forensics firm, which determined that an unauthorized party accessed several employee email accounts between June 24, 2021 and July 8, 2021.

While Southern Orthopaedic Associates does not know which emails the party had access to, Southern Orthopaedic Associates reviewed all emails in the affected accounts. In total, the reviewed emails contained the names and Social Security numbers of 106,910 individuals. On December 20, 2021, the company sent data breach notifications to all affected parties, informing them of the breach and what they can do to protect themselves.

If the evidence shows that Southern Orthopaedic Associates failed to take the necessary steps to ensure the security of consumers' data, impacted parties may be able to join a class action data breach lawsuit against the company.

While the situation is still developing, those who received a data breach letter from Southern Orthopaedic Associates should take the following steps to protect themselves:

1. Carefully review the letter sent by Southern Orthopaedic Associates;
2. Retain a copy of the data breach notification letter;
3. Enroll in the free credit monitoring service provided by Southern Orthopaedic Associates;
4. Change all passwords and security questions to online accounts;
5. Frequently review all credit card and bank account statements for any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity;
6. Monitor credit reports for any unexpected changes or signs of identity theft;
7. Contact a credit bureau to request a temporary fraud alert; and
8. Notify all banks and credit card companies of the data breach.

To learn more about this data breach, please visit: https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/data-breach-alert-southern-orthopaedic-associates/

The law firm of Console & Associates P.C. is dedicated to advancing consumers' privacy interests at every opportunity. The firm investigates all types of data breaches, ransomware attacks and other network intrusions to determine the legal rights of consumers who trusted corporations with their sensitive information. Console & Associates, P.C. can be reached through the firm's website at https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/consumer-privacy-data-breach-lawyers/.