Recently, Fessenden Hall, Inc. confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to the company’s computer system, compromising the sensitive information of certain consumers.

If you received a data breach notification, it is essential you understand what is at risk. More about our investigation into this breach, and what you can do if your data was stolen, is available here.

Last year, 1,862 data breaches affected more than 189 million people. On average, victims of identity theft spend 200 hours and over $1,300 recovering their identity. Many victims also suffer emotional distress, credit damage, and may even end up with a criminal record. Taking immediate action is the best way to prevent the worst consequences of a data breach.

What We Know So Far About the Fessenden Hall Data Breach

According to an official filing by the company, in October 2021, Fessenden Hall noticed suspicious activity on some of its computer systems. In response, the company disconnected the affected systems from its network and launched an investigation into the incident. The investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to the company’s network.

Upon learning of the extent of the security breach, Fessenden Hall then reviewed the affected files to determine what information was compromised. The company completed this review on January 6, 2022. Then, Fessenden Hall worked to identify and located the addresses of all affected parties. This review was completed on March 8, 2022.

On March 24, 2022, Fessenden Hall began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

Founded in 1890, Fessenden Hall is a long-time distributor of cabinet components, millwork and countertop materials. The company is based in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and has branches in West Caldwell, New Jersey; Dover, Delaware; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Fessenden Hall employs approximately 130 people and generates annual revenue of roughly $25 million.

More About the Causes and Risks of Data Breaches

Often, data breaches are the result of a hacker gaining unauthorized access to a company’s computer systems with the intention of obtaining sensitive consumer information. While no one can know the reason why a hacker targeted Fessenden Hall, it is common for hackers and other criminals to identify those companies believed to have weak data security systems or vulnerabilities in their networks.

Once a cybercriminal gains access to a computer network, they can then access and remove any data stored on the compromised servers. While in most cases a company experiencing a data breach can identify which files were accessible, there may be no way for the company to tell which files the hacker actually accessed or whether they removed any data.

While the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach does not necessarily mean it will be used for criminal purposes, being the victim of a data breach puts your sensitive data in the hands of an unauthorized person. As a result, you are at an increased risk of identity theft and other frauds, and criminal use of your information is a possibility that should not be ignored.

Given this reality, individuals who receive a Fessenden Hall data breach notification should take the situation seriously and remain vigilant in checking for any signs of unauthorized activity. Businesses like Fessenden Hall are responsible for protecting the consumer data in their possession. If evidence emerges that Fessenden Hall failed to adequately protect your sensitive information, you may be eligible for financial compensation through a data breach lawsuit.

What Are Consumers’ Remedies in the Wake of the Fessenden Hall Data Breach?

When customers decided to do business with Fessenden Hall, they assumed that the company would take their privacy concerns seriously. And it goes without saying that consumers would think twice before giving a company access to their information if they knew it wasn’t going to be secure. Thus, data breaches such as this one raise questions about the adequacy of a company’s data security system.

When a business, government entity, non-profit organization, school, or any other organization accepts and stores consumer data, it also accepts a legal obligation to ensure this information remains private. The United States data breach laws allow consumers to pursue civil data breach claims against organizations that fail to protect their information.

Of course, given the recency of the Fessenden Hall data breach, the investigation into the incident is still in its early stages. And, as of right now, there is not yet any evidence suggesting Fessenden Hall is legally responsible for the breach. However, that could change as additional information about the breach and its causes is revealed.

If you have questions about your ability to bring a data breach class action lawsuit against Fessenden Hall, reach out to a data breach attorney as soon as possible.

What Should You Do if You Receive a Fessenden Hall Data Breach Notification?

If Fessenden Hall sends you a data breach notification letter, you are among those whose information was compromised in the recent breach. While this isn’t a time to panic, the situation warrants your attention. Below are a few important steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft and other fraudulent activity:

1. Identify What Information Was Compromised: The first thing to do after learning of a data breach is to carefully review the data breach letter sent. The letter will tell you what information of yours was accessible to the unauthorized party. Be sure to make a copy of the letter and keep it for your records. If you have trouble understanding the letter or what steps you can take to protect yourself, a data breach lawyer can help.

2. Limit Future Access to Your Accounts: Once you determine what information of yours was affected by the breach, the safest play is to assume that the hacker orchestrating the attack stole your data. While this may not be the case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. To prevent future access to your accounts, you should change all passwords and security questions for any online account. This includes online banking accounts, credit card accounts, online shopping accounts, and any other account containing your personal information. You should also consider changing your social media account passwords and setting up multi-factor authentication where it is available.

3. Protect Your Credit and Your Financial Accounts: After a data breach, companies often provide affected parties with free credit monitoring services. Signing up for the free credit monitoring offers some significant protections and doesn’t impact any of your rights to pursue a data breach lawsuit against the company if it turns out they were legally responsible for the breach. You should contact a credit bureau to request a copy of your credit report—even if you do not notice any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity. Adding a fraud alert to your account will provide you with additional protection.

4. Consider Implementing a Credit Freeze: A credit freeze prevents anyone from accessing your credit report. Credit freezes are free and stay in effect until you remove them. Once a credit freeze is in place, you can temporarily lift the freeze if you need to apply for any type of credit. While placing a credit freeze on your accounts may seem like overkill, given the risks involved, it’s justified. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (“ITRC”), placing a credit freeze on your account is the “single most effective way to prevent a new credit/financial account from being opened.” However, just 3% of data breach victims place a freeze on their accounts.

5. Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report and Financial Accounts: Protecting yourself in the wake of a data breach requires an ongoing effort on your part. You should regularly check your credit report and all financial account statements, looking for any signs of unauthorized activity or fraud. You should also call your banks and credit card companies to report the fact that your information was compromised in a data breach.

Below is a copy of the initial data breach letter issued by Fessenden Hall, Inc.:

Dear [Consumer],

The purpose of this letter is to notify you about a recent data incident that may involve some of your information. This notice provides you with information about the incident, our response, and additional steps you may take to protect your information, should you determine it is appropriate to do so.

What Happened? In October 2021, Fessenden Hall, Inc. (“FH”) discovered unusual activity on certain of our computer systems. FH quickly disconnected these systems from the network and commenced an intensive investigation that included working with third-party forensic specialists. Because the investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to the FH network, FH initiated a comprehensive and time-intensive review of its systems to determine the type of information and to whom it related. On or around January 6, 2022, FH completed its initial review and identified the individuals whose information was present on the impacted systems at the time of the incident. Following its initial review, FH worked diligently to identify address information for any potentially affected individuals so they could be notified as quickly as possible. This review was completed on March 8, 2022. FH is notifying you in an abundance of caution because your information was present.

What Information Was Involved? The involved FH systems contained your name and <>. FH is currently unaware of any actual or even attempted misuse of information.

What We Are Doing. We take this incident very seriously. Information privacy and security are among our highest priorities, and we have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. Upon discovering this incident, we quickly took steps to investigate and respond, including reviewing and enhancing our existing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. FH reported this incident to federal law enforcement and is notifying potentially affected individuals and relevant regulators as required. Moreover, as an added precaution, FH is offering complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity restoration services to potentially impacted individuals out of an abundance of caution because your information was determined to be present in the systems that may have been accessed during the incident.

What You Can Do. FH encourages you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and explanation of benefits and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity. You may also review and consider the information and resources outlined in the below “Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information.”

For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call our dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170 (toll free), Monday through Friday, from 9 am - 9 pm Eastern Time (excluding U.S. holidays). You may write to FH at ATTN: Michael Lane, Chief Financial Officer, 1050 Sherman Ave., Pennsauken Township, NJ 08110 with any additional questions you may have.