Medical Food Company Mom’s Meals Suffers Serious Data Breach Exposing More than 1M

Mom's Meals is a food service company that helps provide meals to people who are in need of help. This meal service organization works to deliver food to the homes of individuals who need help with food. These individuals could be at risk for identity theft and other serious problems in the future. Learn about the specifics of this breach below and understand the full risk for data loss because of the attack. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

According to studies performed and the investigation, the Mom's Meals data breach occurred when hackers infiltrated the data network to steal key information. To access the network, the attackers either exploited a security issue or got through using a phishing attack on company employees. Either way, the attackers quickly gained access to exclusive files meant only for employees at Mom's Meals. The attack likely began in the middle of January and continued until nearly the end of February. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

Because of the attack on the network, all the users involved may have suffered from substantial data losses. Information like birth dates, State ID numbers, payment card information, Driver's License numbers, Social Security Numbers, treatment data, diagnosis codes, and much more was exposed. All this data could be seriously harmful to everyone impacted, creating a problem that people should be aware of. 

How Did Mom's Meals Admit to the Breach?

PurFoods, the parent company of Mom's Meals, released a notice to the public explaining that it had suffered from a data breach. There is no specific data on the notice, but the document lists the known dates for the breach and what information was taken. It's an important tool for people to use to learn how this data breach may impact them. 

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

All of the data stolen from the network was encrypted, making it difficult for the company to access and use it like normal. The attackers make off-site copies of the stolen documents and will likely resell them or use them for identity theft attacks. The company already demanded that Mom's Meals pay a ransom to get the stolen information back, but the company isn't following through with the hackers. Data was stolen from more than 1.2 million individuals and will likely be used to do damage and earn money from as many people involved as possible. 

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

If you learn your information was involved in this data breach, you should immediately protect yourself from harm. Begin by checking your credit and by considering credit monitoring services. You should watch your credit and financial accounts to be sure no significant changes are made without your permission. If you are diligent about watching for these changes, you can call the companies involved and protect yourself if the attackers commit fraud using your information.