Ara Haddadian, CPA

The California Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach involving Ara Haddadian CPA, which occurred on February 15, 2023, when portable hard drives containing personal client data were stolen from the owner’s vehicle. The compromised information included client names and unspecified data elements, though the exact number of affected individuals (denoted as *UNKN*) remains undisclosed. The breach was formally reported on March 30, 2023, nearly six weeks after the incident. As a precautionary response, the firm is offering complimentary credit monitoring services to impacted clients, suggesting potential risks of identity theft or financial fraud. The theft of physical storage devices—rather than a digital intrusion—highlights vulnerabilities in data handling and physical security protocols. While no explicit evidence of malicious exploitation (e.g., ransomware or targeted hacking) was reported, the exposure of personal client data poses reputational and financial risks, particularly if sensitive details (e.g., tax records, financial statements) were included. The delayed disclosure further amplifies concerns about transparency and incident response efficacy.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-564920

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ara-haddadian-cpa

"id": "ara615090125",
"linkid": "ara-haddadian-cpa",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "2/2023",
"severity": "50",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'UNKN (unknown number)',
                        'industry': 'Financial Services / Accounting',
                        'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'Ara Haddadian CPA',
                        'type': 'Accounting Firm'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Physical Theft of Portable Hard Drives',
 'customer_advisories': ['Complimentary credit monitoring services offered'],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes (via physical theft)',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': 'UNKN (unknown)',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (client names)',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'Moderate (includes personally '
                                        'identifiable information)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Client names',
                                              'Unspecified data elements']},
 'date_detected': '2023-02-15',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-03-30',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported that '
                'Ara Haddadian CPA experienced a data breach on February 15, '
                '2023, when portable hard drives containing personal data were '
                "stolen from the owner's vehicle. Approximately UNKN "
                'individuals were affected, with potentially compromised '
                'information being client names and unspecified data elements. '
                'Complimentary credit monitoring services are being offered as '
                'a precautionary measure.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential (credit monitoring offered '
                                       'as precaution)',
            'data_compromised': ['Client names', 'Unspecified data elements'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential (credit monitoring offered)',
            'systems_affected': ['Portable hard drives']},
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Physical security failure (theft '
                                           'of unsecured portable hard drives '
                                           'from vehicle)'},
 'references': [{'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['California Office of '
                                                        'the Attorney '
                                                        'General']},
 'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'Likely (reported to California '
                                          'Office of the Attorney General)',
              'remediation_measures': ['Offering complimentary credit '
                                       'monitoring services']},
 'title': 'Data Breach at Ara Haddadian CPA Due to Stolen Portable Hard Drives',
 'type': 'Data Breach (Physical Theft)'}