Equinox Settles $685K Data Breach Lawsuit Over Exposed Sensitive Consumer Data
A New York-based nonprofit, Equinox, has agreed to a $685,000 settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit stemming from a data breach that exposed sensitive consumer information. The breach, which occurred on April 29, 2024, compromised personal data, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, and health insurance information.
Equinox acknowledged that an unauthorized actor accessed and potentially acquired files from its internal systems but did not admit wrongdoing. The lawsuit alleged the organization failed to adequately safeguard consumer data.
Under the settlement terms, affected individuals those who received a breach notification may claim compensation:
- Up to $5,000 for documented losses (e.g., bank fees, travel expenses, or communication charges).
- $100 for undocumented losses.
- Three years of free credit and dark web monitoring, $1 million in identity theft insurance, and identity recovery assistance.
Key deadlines include September 23 for exclusions or objections and November 12 for the final approval hearing. Equinox has also committed to enhancing security measures to better protect consumer data.
The organization provides domestic violence services, mental health counseling, youth programs, and substance abuse treatment. The settlement follows another high-profile case, with Costco agreeing to a $14 million payout over misleading promotions in Washington state.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/money/16930103/americans-claim-data-breach-settlement/
Equinox TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/equinox-inc-albany
"id": "equ1788310307",
"linkid": "equinox-inc-albany",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "9/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Affected individuals who '
'received a breach notification',
'industry': 'Social Services (Domestic violence '
'services, mental health counseling, youth '
'programs, substance abuse treatment)',
'location': 'New York, USA',
'name': 'Equinox',
'type': 'Nonprofit'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unauthorized Access',
'customer_advisories': 'Compensation details and deadlines for affected '
'individuals (September 23 for exclusions/objections, '
'November 12 for final approval hearing)',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Potentially acquired by unauthorized '
'actor',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers',
'Driver’s license details',
'Health insurance information']},
'date_detected': '2024-04-29',
'description': 'A New York-based nonprofit, Equinox, has agreed to a $685,000 '
'settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit stemming from a '
'data breach that exposed sensitive consumer information, '
'including Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, '
'and health insurance information.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Social Security numbers, driver’s license '
'details, health insurance information',
'financial_loss': '$685,000 (settlement)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'legal_liabilities': 'Class-action lawsuit'},
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Enhanced security measures',
'root_causes': 'Failure to adequately safeguard '
'consumer data'},
'recommendations': 'Enhance security measures to better protect consumer data',
'references': [{'source': 'Cyber Incident Description'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class-action lawsuit settlement'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Breach notifications sent to affected '
'individuals',
'enhanced_monitoring': 'Three years of free credit and dark web '
'monitoring',
'remediation_measures': 'Enhanced security measures to better '
'protect consumer data'},
'threat_actor': 'Unauthorized Actor',
'title': 'Equinox Data Breach Lawsuit Settlement',
'type': 'Data Breach'}