One of the world’s leading reproductive biological material banks, California Cryobank (CCB), has announced a leak of confidential data that could have affected an unspecified number of US citizens. Law firms are already analyzing the possibility of filing a class action lawsuit over the alleged disclosure of biometric information.
CCB sent a report on the hacking incident to the relevant authorities in the states of California and Maine, indicating that 28 people were affected in Maine alone. According to the company, unauthorized interference with its IT systems was recorded on April 21, 2024, after which the infected devices were disconnected from the network.
The investigation revealed that the attackers had access to data from April 20 to 22, 2024, including:
No hacking group has claimed responsibility for the breach. CCB did not provide specific information on the total number of people affected or whether they were customers, employees, or other categories of people.
California Cryobank is one of the largest companies in the United States specializing in the storage of reproductive materials, including frozen sperm, eggs, embryos, and cord blood. This aspect is of particular concern to lawyers, as the consequences of a biometric data leak can be particularly serious.
As of press time, CCB is offering victims a free annual credit history monitoring service, but law firm The Lyon Firm is exploring the possibility of filing a class action lawsuit over its cybersecurity failures.
While the extent of the breach is currently unknown, experts warn of the potential for the stolen data to be used for malicious purposes. Vulnerability to databases containing biometric information could lead to long-term negative consequences, including fraud, identity theft, and the risk of future attacks.
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