On April 5, 2024, Molen & Associates filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Montana after discovering that an unauthorized party was able to access portions of the company’s computer network. In this notice, Molen & Associates explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, addresses, and tax information, including some consumers’ Social Security numbers. Upon completing its investigation, Molen & Associates began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from Molen & Associates, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Molen & Associates data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the Molen & Associates Data Breach?
The Molen & Associates data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Molen & Associates’ filing with the Attorney General of Montana provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on October 24, 2023, Molen & Associates detected a network security incident involving an unauthorized party gaining access to parts of the company’s IT network.
In response, Molen & Associates began working with third-party data security experts to investigate the incident in hopes of determining what, if any, consumer information was subject to unauthorized access.
Ultimately, the Molen & Associates investigation confirmed that the party was able to access portions of its network between October 4, 2023 and October 25, 2023, including files containing confidential consumer information.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Molen & Associates reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, tax information and Social Security number.
On April 5, 2024, Molen & Associates sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About Molen & Associates
Founded in 1980, Molen & Associates is an accounting and tax services firm based out of Houston, Texas. Molen & Associates offers a range of accounting-related services, including individual and organizational tax preparation, IRS seizures, offers in compromise, bookkeeping, payroll setup and more. Molen & Associates employs more than 25 people and generates approximately $13 million in annual revenue.
