On October 26, 2022, Convergent Outsourcing, Inc. reported a data breach with the Montana Attorney General after the company experienced a ransomware attack. According to Convergent Outsourcing, the breach resulted in the names, contact information, financial account numbers, and Social Security numbers being compromised. Recently, Convergent Outsourcing sent out data breach letters to all affected parties, informing them of the incident and what they can do to protect themselves from identity theft and other frauds.

Ransomware attacks such as the incident leading to the Convergent data breach are becoming increasingly common. In large part, this is due to the fact that hackers can demand incredible sums of money from companies by threatening to publish stolen consumer data on the dark web if the company doesn’t pay up. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, while consumers have virtually no way of foreseeing or preventing a ransomware attack, large companies like Convergent Outsourcing should have robust data security measures in place to deter would-be hackers. Companies that fail to implement strong data security measures not only jeopardize the security of the information in their possession but also open themselves up to liability through a data breach lawsuit.

More Information About the Convergent Outsourcing Data Breach

The available information regarding the Convergent Outsourcing breach comes from the company’s filing with the Montana Attorney General’s “Reported Data Breach Incident” database. According to this source, on June 17, 2022, Convergent learned of a possible data security issue when some of the company’s computer systems stopped functioning properly. In response, the company secured its IT system and then launched an investigation in hopes of better understanding the nature of the incident and identifying what, if any, consumer data was compromised as a result.

The company’s investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party conducted a malware attack, which was responsible for the disruption. It was also determined that the unauthorized actors had gained access to certain files containing sensitive consumer information.

Upon discovering that sensitive consumer data was made available to an unauthorized party, Convergent Outsourcing began to review the affected files to determine what information was compromised and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, contact information, financial account number, and Social Security number.

On October 26, 2022, Convergent Outsourcing sent out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

Founded in 1950, Convergent Outsourcing, Inc. is a business services company based out of Renton, Washington. The company provides corporate clients with a range of services, including debt-collections management and call center solutions. Convergent Outsourcing operates nine call centers, seven of which are based in the United States. Convergent Outsourcing operates several specialized divisions, including Convergent Commercial Receivables Management and Convergent Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management. Convergent Outsourcing employs more than 1,124 people and generates approximately $476.