49ers Data Breach Settlement: Protecting Fans and Employees | June 9 2023
Channel: Hacking Space Frontier 
Date: 09/06/2023

The San Francisco 49ers have reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit resulting from a data breach. The breach occurred just before Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 when the BlackByte ransomware gang attacked the NFL team. The hackers gained access to Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information, as well as leaked business documents belonging to the 49ers.

Three separate class action lawsuits related to the breach were combined into one case. The plaintiffs filed settlement papers in California federal court, and the motion was unopposed. The settlement agreement states that affected individuals, referred to as "class members," can receive reimbursement for ordinary expenses up to $2,000 resulting from the breach. Those who incurred extraordinary expenses are entitled to receive up to $7,500. Additionally, class members are eligible for two years of identity protection services.

A spokesperson for the 49ers stated that they take the responsibility of safeguarding personal and sensitive information seriously but could not provide further comment on the ongoing litigation.

Data breaches often lead to class action lawsuits, which can further burden businesses already recovering from a cyberattack. For example, the Service Employees International Union recently agreed to pay a total of $550,000 to union members affected by a 2021 data breach. Similarly, Maxim Healthcare, based in Massachusetts, agreed to pay up to $5,000 to over 28,000 victims of a 2021 breach in mid-May.