Jones & Beach Engineers, Inc. suffered a data breach due to unauthorized access to an employee's email account between December 27, 2023, and January 23, 2024, which was detected on March 29, 2024. The incident exposed sensitive information, including the Social Security numbers (SSNs) of 2 Maine residents, along with data from a total of 52 individuals. The breach posed risks of identity theft and financial fraud, prompting the company to notify affected parties on May 15, 2024, and offer 24 months of identity theft protection services via Kroll. The breach stemmed from a compromised employee account, likely through phishing or credential theft, leading to unauthorized access to personally identifiable information (PII). While the scale was relatively limited (52 individuals), the exposure of SSNs highly sensitive data elevates the severity due to potential long-term consequences for victims, including fraud, credit damage, and identity misuse. The delayed discovery (nearly three months after initial access) further exacerbates risks, as attackers may have exploited the stolen data during that period. The company’s response included mitigation measures, but the incident underscores vulnerabilities in email security and the critical need for proactive monitoring.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/jones-engineers-inc
"id": "jon1013090725",
"linkid": "jones-engineers-inc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "12/2023",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 52,
'industry': 'Engineering',
'location': 'Maine, USA',
'name': 'Jones & Beach Engineers, Inc.',
'type': 'Private Company'}],
'attack_vector': 'Compromised Employee Email Account',
'customer_advisories': ['Written notice provided to 52 affected individuals '
'on 2024-05-15'],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (unauthorized access to email '
'account)',
'number_of_records_exposed': 52,
'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Personally Identifiable '
'Information - PII)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers']},
'date_detected': '2024-03-29',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-05-15',
'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported that Jones '
'& Beach Engineers, Inc. experienced a data breach involving '
"unauthorized access to an employee's email account from "
'December 27, 2023, to January 23, 2024. The breach was '
'discovered on March 29, 2024, and potentially affected the '
'Social Security numbers of 2 Maine residents and a total of '
'52 individuals. Written notice was provided to affected '
'individuals on May 15, 2024, and identity theft protection '
'services were offered for 24 months through Kroll.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational harm due to '
'exposure of sensitive personal data',
'data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (Social Security numbers exposed)',
'systems_affected': ['Employee Email Account']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Employee Email Account'},
'investigation_status': 'Discovered (2024-03-29); Notifications sent '
'(2024-05-15)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Provided identity theft '
'protection services to '
'affected individuals']},
'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Office of the '
'Attorney General']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Written notice to affected '
'individuals on 2024-05-15'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Likely (based on '
'notification and '
'remediation steps)',
'remediation_measures': ['Offered 24 months of identity theft '
'protection services to affected '
'individuals'],
'third_party_assistance': ['Kroll (identity theft protection '
'services)']},
'title': 'Jones & Beach Engineers, Inc. Email Account Data Breach',
'type': 'Data Breach (Unauthorized Email Access)'}