KBF CPAs

The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach affecting KBF CPAs, occurring between November 8–14, 2022, but discovered only on June 6, 2023. The incident stemmed from external system hacking, compromising sensitive data including Social Security numbers of 1,112 individuals, among them 3 Maine residents. While the exact method of exploitation remains undisclosed, the breach exposed personally identifiable information (PII), posing risks of identity theft and financial fraud. In response, KBF CPAs offered 12 months of complimentary credit monitoring to affected parties, a standard remedial measure for such incidents. The delayed detection (over six months) suggests potential gaps in cybersecurity monitoring, raising concerns about the firm’s ability to prevent or swiftly mitigate future threats. The breach underscores the persistent vulnerability of accounting firms, which handle high-value financial and tax data, to targeted cyber intrusions by external actors.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/ed66d361-8578-4dcc-82af-a3c0842920e1.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/kbfcpas

"id": "kbf240082125",
"linkid": "kbfcpas",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "11/2022",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 1112,
                        'industry': 'Accounting/Financial Services',
                        'location': 'Maine, USA',
                        'name': 'KBF CPAs',
                        'type': 'Organization'}],
 'attack_vector': 'External System Hacking',
 'customer_advisories': 'Complimentary credit monitoring services for 12 '
                        'months offered to affected individuals',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Likely (data compromised)',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': 1112,
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (Social Security '
                                                        'numbers)',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers']},
 'date_detected': '2023-06-06',
 'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
                'breach involving KBF CPAs, which occurred between November 8, '
                '2022, and November 14, 2022. The breach, discovered on June '
                '6, 2023, was attributed to external system hacking, affecting '
                'a total of 1,112 individuals, including 3 residents. Social '
                'Security numbers were among the compromised information, and '
                'the affected individuals were offered complimentary credit '
                'monitoring services for 12 months.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Social Security numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (Social Security numbers '
                                   'compromised)'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Maine Office of the '
                                                       'Attorney General'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Offered complimentary credit '
                                        'monitoring services for 12 months to '
                                        'affected individuals',
              'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes (Maine Office of the Attorney '
                                          'General)'},
 'title': 'Data Breach at KBF CPAs',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}