Five organizations have reported data breaches to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, highlighting the frequency of cyberattacks. Village Bank, Sysco Corporation, Collins Electrical Construction, Kline & Specter, and Puma Biotechnology disclosed breaches on May 17th, affecting nearly 150,000 individuals across the US.
Although only a fraction of the victims reside in Maine, the impact of the breaches could be felt nationwide.
Sysco Corporation experienced the most severe breach, with over 126,000 victims having their personally identifying information, including Social Security numbers, exposed in a cybersecurity event that began in January. Kline & Specter, a legal firm, reported the second-worst impact, with the personal data of 16,096 clients potentially compromised in a ransomware attack.
While Village Bank, Puma Biotechnology, and Collins Electrical had fewer victims, all organizations stressed their commitment to addressing the attacks seriously.
With the exception of Kline, the affected organizations are offering compensation to victims in the form of free cybersecurity, credit monitoring, and identity protection services.
Despite reassurances that the stolen information has not been used, there is still a long-term risk for Kline’s clients, as cybercriminals may not immediately exploit the stolen data. The organizations are conducting thorough investigations and implementing measures to minimize future risks.
Customers are being advised to take precautionary measures such as freezing their credit scores and regularly monitoring financial account statements to safeguard against potential misuse of their information.
