Hightower Holding Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of Over 131,000 Individuals
Hightower Holding, LLC, the parent company of Chicago-based wealth management firm Hightower Advisors, disclosed a data breach affecting 131,483 individuals in the U.S., including 1,557 Maine residents. The incident was discovered on January 9, 2026, when the company identified unauthorized access to its systems via a compromised user account.
A subsequent investigation, conducted with third-party cybersecurity experts, revealed that between January 8 and 9, 2026, unauthorized parties downloaded files containing sensitive personal data. The exposed information included names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
Hightower Holding secured its network following the breach and began notifying affected individuals via written letters on March 23, 2026. The company operates multiple subsidiaries, including Hightower Securities and Hightower Trust Company, which provide investment management, trust, and retirement services.
Class action law firm Shamis & Gentile P.A. is investigating potential legal claims on behalf of those impacted. The breach underscores the ongoing risks to financial services firms handling sensitive client data.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/hightower-data-breach-2026
Hightower Advisors cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/hightoweradvisors
"id": "HIG1774370113",
"linkid": "hightoweradvisors",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '131,483',
'industry': 'Wealth Management',
'location': 'Chicago, USA',
'name': 'Hightower Holding, LLC',
'type': 'Parent Company'},
{'customers_affected': '131,483',
'industry': 'Investment Management',
'location': 'Chicago, USA',
'name': 'Hightower Advisors',
'type': 'Subsidiary'},
{'industry': 'Investment Management',
'location': 'Chicago, USA',
'name': 'Hightower Securities',
'type': 'Subsidiary'},
{'industry': 'Trust and Retirement Services',
'location': 'Chicago, USA',
'name': 'Hightower Trust Company',
'type': 'Subsidiary'}],
'attack_vector': 'Compromised user account',
'customer_advisories': 'Written notifications sent to affected individuals',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Files downloaded by unauthorized '
'parties',
'number_of_records_exposed': '131,483',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Names, Social '
'Security numbers, '
'driver’s license '
'numbers',
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal Information'},
'date_detected': '2026-01-09',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-03-23',
'description': 'Hightower Holding, LLC, the parent company of Chicago-based '
'wealth management firm Hightower Advisors, disclosed a data '
'breach affecting 131,483 individuals in the U.S., including '
'1,557 Maine residents. The incident was discovered on January '
'9, 2026, when the company identified unauthorized access to '
'its systems via a compromised user account. Unauthorized '
'parties downloaded files containing sensitive personal data, '
'including names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s '
'license numbers.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Names, Social Security numbers, driver’s '
'license numbers',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential legal claims under investigation'},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Compromised user account'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'references': [{'source': 'Incident Disclosure'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Class action investigation by '
'Shamis & Gentile P.A.'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Written letters to affected '
'individuals',
'containment_measures': 'Secured network',
'third_party_assistance': 'Third-party cybersecurity experts'},
'title': 'Hightower Holding Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of Over '
'131,000 Individuals',
'type': 'Data Breach'}