Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri has notified individuals of a security incident that may have affected some of their personal information. Nonprofit organizations that collect personal information from the people they serve, along with donors, volunteers, and staff, have a responsibility to protect that data, and any lapse can leave those individuals vulnerable to identity theft.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri’s Data Breach Investigation
According to a notification letter, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (“BBBSEMO”) wrote to affected individuals to make them aware of an incident that may affect some of their information. The letter does not disclose the date of the incident, the cause, or a specific number of individuals affected, but the organization is offering resources to those it identified as potentially impacted. BBBSEMO is providing complimentary identity monitoring services through Kroll to help protect the individuals notified.
The letter does not specify what caused the incident or precisely what categories of information were involved, which is not unusual for early or limited-detail breach notifications. Organizations sometimes issue notice before every detail of an investigation is complete, particularly when they want to give affected individuals as much lead time as possible to take protective action.
Nonprofit organizations, including youth mentoring programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates, often maintain sensitive records on the children and families they serve, as well as background-check information on volunteers and staff, financial records for donors, and administrative data for employees. This combination of record types can make a nonprofit’s systems an appealing target for cybercriminals, even though these organizations may have fewer dedicated cybersecurity resources than a large corporation.
When an organization does not publicly specify exactly what data was exposed, affected individuals should still treat the notice seriously and take precautionary steps, since even limited information such as a name paired with contact details can be used as a starting point for phishing attempts or social engineering schemes designed to extract additional sensitive information.
Identity monitoring services, such as the ones BBBSEMO is offering through Kroll, are a standard response measure that can help detect misuse of personal information early, but they generally do not undo an exposure that has already occurred. Affected individuals are encouraged to combine the monitoring service with their own ongoing vigilance over their financial accounts and credit reports.
When Did This Breach Occur?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri’s notification letter does not specify the exact date the incident occurred or was discovered.
What Information Was Breached?
The organization’s notification letter does not publicly specify which categories of information were involved in the incident.
What You Can Do
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is offering affected individuals a complimentary membership in Kroll’s identity monitoring services, including Credit Monitoring, Fraud Consultation, and Identity Theft Restoration. If you received a notice regarding this incident, consider taking the following steps:
- Enroll in the complimentary Kroll identity monitoring services referenced in your notification letter.
- Review your financial account statements and credit reports regularly for suspicious activity.
- Consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- Request your free annual credit report at annualcreditreport.com.
- Be cautious of phishing emails or calls referencing this incident.
File a Data Breach Lawsuit Against Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri
If you received a notice that your personal information was exposed in this data breach involving Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation. Organizations that collect personal information have a legal responsibility to protect it, and individuals affected by a breach often bear the burden of monitoring their own accounts and protecting themselves from identity theft as a result.
Contact us at Class Action U, where we’ll connect you with a lawyer skilled in class action lawsuits. If you’ve been contacted about this breach, received notice, or discovered you were impacted, fill out our quick, easy, and secure form to sign up. There is no cost to reach out to our legal partner and no obligation after speaking with someone from our team.
