HBL CPAs, P.C.

On April 16, 2024, the Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach affecting HBL CPAs, P.C., an accounting firm. The incident, traced back to November 30, 2023, resulted from an external hacking attack, compromising the personal information of 1,206 individuals, including 2 Maine residents. While the exact nature of the exposed data was not detailed, the breach prompted the company to offer identity theft protection services to affected parties. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in the firm’s cybersecurity defenses, potentially exposing sensitive client data—such as tax records, financial details, or personally identifiable information (PII)—to unauthorized actors. Though no immediate financial fraud or large-scale exploitation was reported, the exposure of such data poses risks of identity theft, phishing scams, or fraudulent activity targeting the victims. The incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks on professional service firms, which often handle high-value financial and personal data, making them prime targets for hackers seeking monetizable information.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/80a9ac31-f752-44fc-b6dc-6a18ebba67b6.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/hammel-beal-and-lauer-p.c.

"id": "ham617090125",
"linkid": "hammel-beal-and-lauer-p.c.",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "11/2023",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 1206,
                        'industry': 'Accounting/Financial Services',
                        'location': {'country': 'United States',
                                     'state': 'Maine'},
                        'name': 'HBL CPAs, P.C.',
                        'type': 'Organization'}],
 'attack_vector': 'External Hacking',
 'customer_advisories': {'identity_theft_protection_offered': True},
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': 1206,
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-04-16',
 'description': 'On April 16, 2024, the Maine Office of the Attorney General '
                'reported a data breach involving HBL CPAs, P.C. The breach '
                'occurred on November 30, 2023, due to an external hacking '
                'incident, potentially affecting 1,206 individuals, including '
                '2 residents of Maine. Identity theft protection services were '
                'offered to those impacted.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': True, 'identity_theft_risk': True},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-04-16',
                 'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': [{'authority': 'Maine '
                                                                      'Office '
                                                                      'of the '
                                                                      'Attorney '
                                                                      'General',
                                                         'date': '2024-04-16'}]},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': {'public_disclosure': True,
                                         'regulatory_notification': True},
              'law_enforcement_notified': True,
              'recovery_measures': {'identity_theft_protection_services': True}},
 'title': 'Data Breach at HBL CPAs, P.C.',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}