MARLTON, N.J. - CuisineWire -- The law firm of Console & Associates, P.C. recently announced that it is opening an investigation into the recent LendUS, LLC data breach to determine what, if any, legal remedies those affected by the breach have against the company. LendUS, LLC may be financially liable to those consumers whose information was compromised if the company failed to take the necessary steps to secure sensitive consumers' data in advance of the breach.

A data breach involves an unauthorized party gaining access to consumer data that is being maintained by a company. Usually, data breaches are the result of a hacking event or some other type of cyberattack. While a data breach doesn't necessarily mean that the information obtained will be used for criminal purposes, it is a very real possibility, as there is no way to be sure what the party in possession of the information plans to do with it.

News of the LendUS data breach is very fresh, and the investigation is only in its infancy. However, the breach raises questions about the company's efforts to keep consumer data secure. If it turns out that LendUS, LLC mishandled consumer data leading up to the breach or did not ensure adequate IT security measures were in place, affected parties may be eligible for financial compensation through a class action lawsuit.

Attorney Richard P. Console, Jr. explains, "It's easy to place all the blame for a data breach on the person who hacks into an organization's system; however, this ignores the legal and moral obligation that these companies owe to customers. When someone gives a company their business, they trust that the information in the organization's possession will remain private—and out of the hands of criminals. While protecting consumer data requires a business to undergo some effort and expense, in our current environment of widespread hacking, this is a cost of doing business that all organizations must take seriously."

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According to the data breach letter by LendUS, LLC, the company noticed unusual activity regarding several employees' email accounts. In response, the company secured the employees' email accounts and initiated an investigation into what was then only a possible breach. However, the investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed certain employee email accounts at various times between February 2, 2021 and March 22, 2021. While LendUS, LLC was not able to determine which emails or attachments were accessed, the company determined that the email accounts contained the names and Social Security numbers of 12,205 individuals.

LendUS, LLC notes that there is no indication that the unauthorized party used or intends to use any of the data obtained; however, the company's investigation is ongoing. On January 19, the company sent out data breach notifications to all affected parties, informing them of the breach and what they can do to protect themselves.

As the investigation progresses, if it turns out that LendUS, LLC did not maintain the necessary data-security protocol to protect consumers' data, those impacted by the breach may be able to pursue a claim for financial compensation through a class action lawsuit.

Those receiving a data breach letter from the LendUS, LLC should take the following steps to protect themselves:

1.)   Carefully review the letter sent by LendUS, LLC;

2.)   Retain a copy of the data breach notification letter;

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3.)   Enroll in the free credit monitoring service provided by LendUS, LLC;

4.)   Change all passwords and security questions to online accounts;

5.)   Frequently review all credit card and bank account statements for any signs of fraud or unauthorized activity;

6.)   Monitor credit reports for any unexpected changes or signs of identity theft;

7.)   Contact a credit bureau to request a temporary fraud alert; and

8.)   Notify all banks and credit card companies of the data breach.

To learn more about this data breach, please visit https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/lendus-data-breach/

Console & Associates P.C. is dedicated to advancing consumers' privacy interests at every opportunity. The firm investigates all types of data breaches, ransomware attacks and other network intrusions to determine the legal rights of consumers who trusted corporations with their sensitive information. Console & Associates, P.C. can be reached through the firm's website at https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/consumer-privacy-data-breach-lawyers/.