Datamate Bookkeeping & Tax, Inc.

Datamate Bookkeeping & Tax, Inc. suffered a prolonged data breach between September 23, 2023, and December 10, 2023, which was publicly disclosed on June 16, 2024. Unauthorized actors gained access to the company’s systems, potentially compromising highly sensitive personal information of affected individuals. The exposed data included full names, residential addresses, Social Security numbers (SSNs), and bank account details information that could facilitate identity theft, financial fraud, or targeted phishing attacks. The breach’s duration (over 11 weeks) suggests a sophisticated or persistent intrusion, raising concerns about the company’s cybersecurity posture and incident response capabilities. Given the nature of the stolen data (SSNs and financial records), victims face long-term risks, including credit score manipulation, unauthorized loans, or tax fraud. The incident underscores the critical need for robust access controls, real-time monitoring, and timely breach notifications to mitigate downstream harm. As a bookkeeping and tax service provider, Datamate handles confidential client data, making it a high-value target for cybercriminals. The breach not only erodes customer trust but also exposes the company to regulatory scrutiny, potential lawsuits, and financial penalties under laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or federal regulations governing data protection.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-586991

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/datamate-bookkeeping-tax-inc

"id": "dat1047090725",
"linkid": "datamate-bookkeeping-tax-inc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "9/2023",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Accounting/Bookkeeping/Tax Services',
                        'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'Datamate Bookkeeping & Tax, Inc.',
                        'type': 'Private Company'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (unauthorized access confirmed)',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
                                                         'addresses',
                                                         'social security '
                                                         'numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
                                              'Information (PII)',
                                              'Financial Data']},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-06-16',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported that '
                'Datamate Bookkeeping & Tax, Inc. experienced a data breach '
                'during which unauthorized access occurred from September 23, '
                '2023, to December 10, 2023. The breach may have compromised '
                'sensitive personal information including names, addresses, '
                'social security numbers, and bank account details for '
                'affected individuals.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['names',
                                 'addresses',
                                 'social security numbers',
                                 'bank account details'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PII and financial data exposed)',
            'payment_information_risk': 'High (bank account details exposed)'},
 'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['PII', 'Financial Data'],
                           'reconnaissance_period': 'September 23, 2023 – '
                                                    'December 10, 2023 '
                                                    '(duration of unauthorized '
                                                    'access)'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (as of disclosure date)',
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-06-16',
                 'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': ['Potential violation of '
                                                    'California Consumer '
                                                    'Privacy Act (CCPA)',
                                                    'Potential violation of '
                                                    'other state/federal data '
                                                    'protection laws'],
                           'regulatory_notifications': ['California Office of '
                                                        'the Attorney '
                                                        'General']},
 'title': 'Data Breach at Datamate Bookkeeping & Tax, Inc.',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}