Hall Booth Smith, P.C Notice of Information Security Incident
Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is a full-service law firm with offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The privacy and security of the personal information we maintain is of the utmost importance to HBS.
What Happened?
We experienced unauthorized access to our network on or around February 4, 2023.
What Did We Do?
We immediately launched an investigation in consultation with outside cybersecurity professionals who regularly investigate and analyze these types of situations to contain and secure our environment, assist our restoration efforts, and to analyze the extent of any compromise of the information on our network. Security is an ongoing process, and we are continually taking steps to improve our safeguards to protect information in our network.
What Information Was Involved?
Based on our comprehensive investigation, we learned that the unauthorized actor took some data from our network environment. We went through an exhaustive process to determine how the incident occurred and the nature of any data that was compromised.
While this incident has not affected our ability to serve our clients, we are mindful that the files have the potential to contain personal information associated with individuals. Therefore, we are providing this notice out of an abundance of caution.
What You Can Do
To date, we are not aware of any incidents or reports of identity fraud or improper use of any information as a result of this incident. Nevertheless, we are providing the following steps individuals may take in order to protect themselves, including placing a fraud alert / security freeze on their credit files, obtaining free credit reports, remaining vigilant in reviewing financial account statements and credit reports for fraudulent or irregular activity, and taking steps to safeguard against medical identity theft.
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of personal information in our possession and have taken many precautions to safeguard it. We continually evaluate and modify our practices and internal controls to enhance the security of our network and privacy of personal information.
Individuals with questions concerning this incident may call a dedicated and confidential toll-free response line that we have set up to respond to questions at 1.800.405.6108. The response line is available Monday through Friday, 8:00am-8:00pm ET.
Other Important Information
Placing a Fraud Alert on Your Credit File
You may choose to place an initial one-year “Fraud Alert” on your credit files, at no charge. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you personally before they open any new accounts. To place a fraud alert, call any one of the three major credit bureaus at the numbers listed below. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, they will notify the others.
Equifax
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-fraud-alerts/
800.525.6285
Experian
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html
888.397.3742
TransUnion
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts
800.680.7289
Consider Placing a Security Freeze on Your Credit File.
You may request a “Security Freeze” be placed on your credit file, at no charge. A security freeze prohibits, with certain specific exceptions, the consumer reporting agencies from releasing your credit report or any information from it without your express authorization. You may place a security freeze on your credit report by contacting all three nationwide credit reporting companies at the numbers below and following the stated directions or by sending a request in writing, by mail, to all three credit reporting companies:
Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/
888.298.0045
Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
http://experian.com/freeze
888.397.3742
TransUnion Security Freeze
P.O. Box 160
Woodlyn, PA 19094
https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
888.909.8872
In order to place the security freeze, you’ll need to supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and other personal information. After receiving your freeze request, each credit reporting company will send you a confirmation letter containing a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password. Keep the PIN or password in a safe place. You will need it if you choose to lift the freeze.
If your personal information has been used to file a false tax return, to open an account, or to attempt to open an account in your name or to commit fraud or other crimes against you, you may file a police report in the city in which you currently reside.
Obtaining a Free Credit Report
Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the above three major nationwide credit reporting companies. Call 1.877.322.8228 or request your free credit reports online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Once you receive your credit reports, review them for discrepancies. Identify any accounts you did not open or inquiries from creditors that you did not authorize. Verify all information is correct. If you have questions or notice incorrect information, contact the credit reporting company.
Additional Helpful Resources
Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you check your credit reports periodically. Checking your credit report periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly.
If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, call your local law enforcement agency and file a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the police report, as many creditors will want the information it contains to absolve you of the fraudulent debts. You may also file a complaint with the FTC by contacting them on the web at www.ftc.gov/idtheft, by phone at 1.877.IDTHEFT (1.877.438.4338), or by mail at Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcement for their investigations. In addition, you may obtain information from the FTC about fraud alerts and security freezes.
If your notice letter states that your financial account information and/or credit or debit card information was impacted, we recommend that you contact your financial institution to inquire about steps to take to protect your account, including whether you should close your account or obtain a new account number.
New York Residents: You may obtain information about preventing identity theft from the New York Attorney General’s Office: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; https://ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds-bureau/identity-theft; Telephone: 800.771.7755 (TDD/TYY Support: 800.788.9898); Medicare Fraud Control Unit Direct Line: 212.417.5397.
Protecting Your Medical Information
As a general matter, the following practices can help to protect you from medical identity theft.
- Only share your health insurance cards with your health care providers and other family members who are covered under your insurance plan or who help you with your medical care.
- Review your “explanation of benefits statement” which you receive from your health insurance company. Follow up with your insurance company or care provider for any items you do not recognize. If necessary, contact the care provider on the explanation of benefits statement and ask for copies of medical records from the date of the potential access (noted above) to current date.
- Ask your insurance company for a current year-to-date report of all services paid for you as a beneficiary. Follow up with your insurance company or the care provider for any items you do not recognize.
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