Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a leading data breach law firm, is investigating Comyns, Smith, McCleary & Deaver, LLP (“CSMD”) regarding its recent data breach. The CSMD data breach involved sensitive personal information belonging to an undetermined number of individuals.
ABOUT COMYNS, SMITH, MCCLEARY & DEAVER, LLP:
CSMD is an accounting firm based in California. Founded in 1992, CSMD provides long-term tax, audit, and consulting services to small and mid-market businesses in California.2 Additionally, CSMD offers assistance with mergers and acquisitions, raising capital finances, and preparing business to offer publicly traded securities.3 Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, CSMD employs over 20 individuals.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Recently, CSMD reported to the Attorney General of California that it had experienced a data breach in which sensitive personal identifiable information in its care may have been compromised.1 According to the breach notice, on November 14, 2024, CSMD detected unusual activity within its e-mail environment.1 As a result, CSMD launched an investigation to determine the nature of the incident.
Through its investigation, CSMD confirmed that sensitive personal information in its systems may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party though a CSMD email account on September 30, 2024. As a result, CSMD began a review of the data to determine what information had been impacted as well as identify the specific individuals affected. The exact type of personal information potentially exposed has not been made publicly available by CSMD. However, according to California state reporting guidelines, “personal information” can include the following types of information:
- Name
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license number, California ID card number, tax identification number, passport number, military ID number, or other unique ID number issued on a government document
- Account number or credit or debit card number, in combination with any required security code, access code, or password that would permit access to an individual’s financial account
- Medical information
- Health insurance information
- Unique biometric data generated from measurements or technical analysis of human body characteristics, such as a fingerprint, retina, or iris image, used to authenticate a specific individual
- Genetic information
As a result of the data breach, CSMD began mailing data breach notification letters to impacted individuals. Based on the breach notice sent to California residents, CSMD is providing affected individuals with a list of the specific types of sensitive information impacted and complimentary credit monitoring services. A link to the form breach notification letters that CSMD filed with the Attorney General of California is below.
If you received a breach notification letter from Comyns, Smith, McCleary & Deaver LLP:
We would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies in response to this data breach. Please fill out the form, below, or contact us at 872.263.1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com.
