Hackers stole 340,000 Social Security numbers from government consulting firm

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US consulting firm Greylock McKinnon Associates has revealed a data breach in which hackers stole 341,650 social security numbers.

The data breach was disclosed Friday on the Maine state government's website, where the state posts a data breach notification.

In a data breach notification mailed to affected victims, GMA said it suffered an unspecified cyberattack in May 2023 and said it “immediately took steps to mitigate the incident.” .

GMA provides financial and litigation support to corporations and U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, and litigates civil litigation. According to the data breach notification, GMA informed affected individuals that their personal information was “obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with the assistance of GMA as part of a civil litigation matter.” .

The reasons and targets of the Justice Department's civil lawsuit are unclear. A Justice Department spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

GMA said the individuals notified of the data breach were “not subject to this investigation or any related litigation” and that the cyberattack “has no impact on current Medicare benefits or coverage.” Ta.

“We have consulted with third-party cybersecurity experts to assist in responding to the incident and have notified law enforcement and the Department of Justice. We have received confirmation of what personal information was affected and Contact address acquired on February 7, 2024,” the company wrote.

GMA advised the victim that “your personal information and Medicare information may be affected by this incident,'' including your name, date of birth, home address, some medical and health insurance information, and your Medicare billing number, including your Social Security number. It is possible that he received it.”

It is unclear why it took nine months for GMA to determine the scope of the breach and notify victims.

GMA and the company's outside attorney, Lynn Friedman of Robinson & Cole LLP, did not respond to requests for comment.