Daniel H Cook Associates Inc. Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Information of Over 36,000 Individuals
Daniel H Cook Associates Inc., a New York City-based third-party administrator (TPA) specializing in employee benefits claims processing, reported a data breach affecting 36,663 individuals across the U.S. The incident, first detected on October 17, 2025, involved unauthorized access to files containing sensitive personal data.
After an investigation with cybersecurity experts, the company confirmed on January 12, 2026, that exposed information included names and Social Security numbers. Affected individuals were notified via written notice on January 16, 2026, with two Maine residents among those impacted.
Serving over 75 organizations and managing benefits for approximately 100,000 members, Daniel H Cook Associates has operated for more than 40 years. The breach has prompted legal action, with class action law firm Shamis & Gentile P.A. investigating potential compensation for those affected.
The company is offering complimentary identity protection services, including credit monitoring and identity theft insurance, to impacted individuals. The disclosure was filed with the Maine Attorney General, as required by state regulations.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/daniel-h-cook-associates-data-breach-2026
Daniel H Cook Associates cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/daniel-h-cook-associates
"id": "DAN1768842852",
"linkid": "daniel-h-cook-associates",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '36,663 individuals',
'industry': 'Employee Benefits Claims Processing',
'location': 'New York City, USA',
'name': 'Daniel H Cook Associates Inc.',
'size': 'Serves over 75 organizations, manages '
'benefits for ~100,000 members',
'type': 'Third-Party Administrator (TPA)'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Complimentary identity protection services (credit '
'monitoring and identity theft insurance) offered to '
'impacted individuals',
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '36,663',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Names, Social '
'Security numbers',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Social Security numbers)',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal Identifiable '
'Information (PII)'},
'date_detected': '2025-10-17',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-01-16',
'description': 'Daniel H Cook Associates Inc., a New York City-based '
'third-party administrator (TPA) specializing in employee '
'benefits claims processing, reported a data breach affecting '
'36,663 individuals across the U.S. The incident involved '
'unauthorized access to files containing sensitive personal '
'data, including names and Social Security numbers.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Names and Social Security numbers',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'legal_liabilities': 'Class action investigation underway'},
'investigation_status': 'Completed (confirmed on 2026-01-12)',
'references': [{'source': 'Maine Attorney General'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class action investigation by '
'Shamis & Gentile P.A.',
'regulatory_notifications': 'Filed with Maine '
'Attorney General'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Written notice to affected '
'individuals',
'third_party_assistance': 'Cybersecurity experts'},
'title': 'Daniel H Cook Associates Inc. Data Breach Exposes Sensitive '
'Information of Over 36,000 Individuals',
'type': 'Data Breach'}