Willdan Group, Inc. ("Willdan") Provides Notice Of Data Privacy Incident

ANAHEIM, Calif., Aug. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Willdan Group, Inc. ("Willdan") is providing notice of a recent incident that may affect the security of information pertaining to certain individuals. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in Willdan's care is one of its highest priorities and Willdan takes this incident very seriously.  Although Willdan has not received any reports of actual or attempted misuse of the impacted information, Willdan is providing this notice in an abundance of caution.

What Happened?  On December 15, 2020, Willdan learned that its direct installation subsidiary, Lime Energy, was the target of a cybercriminal attack and that portions of its computer network were infected with malware. We immediately took systems offline and, with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. On or about March 1, 2021, the investigation confirmed that certain files on Lime Energy's systems may have been accessed without authorization and subsequently published online by the cybercriminal. We therefore undertook a lengthy and time-intensive, thorough review of the potentially impacted files and our internal systems in order to identify the information that was involved and to whom it related. In connection with this review, on or about March 1, 2021, a third-party firm was engaged to programmatically and manually review the large volume of files at issue to identify impacted individuals and the types of data associated with those individuals. Concurrently, Willdan internally reviewed their databases and, on or about June 18, 2021, first determined that one or more of the potentially impacted folders included information related to individuals.

In conjunction and collaboration with the third-party review team, Willdan continued to diligently review the information and reconcile the information with internal and public records in furtherance of identifying the individuals to whom the data relates and the appropriate contact information for these individuals. These efforts were completed on or around July 23, 2021, at which time Willdan determined the scope of impacted individuals and the types of protected data associated with those individuals as a result of the extensive internal review.

We thereafter worked to provide notification to potentially impacted individuals as quickly as possible. Importantly, there is no indication that anyone's specific information was misused. However, we are notifying potentially impacted individuals out of an abundance of caution.

What Information Was Involved?  Our investigation determined that the information that may have been potentially affected includes name, Social Security number, driver's license number, medical diagnosis and/or treatment information, financial account number, routing number, payment card number and payment card CVV number, and biometric data. The information impacted was not the same for every individual. 

What Are We Doing? Information security is among Willdan's highest priorities, and we have strict security measures in place to protect information in our care. Upon discovering this incident, we immediately took steps to review and reinforce the security of our systems. We are reviewing existing security policies and have implemented additional cybersecurity measures to further protect against similar incidents moving forward. We reported this incident to law enforcement and are cooperating with their investigation. We are notifying potentially impacted individuals so that they may take steps to protect their information.

For More Information.  You may have questions about this incident that are not addressed in this letter. If you have additional questions and are impacted by this incident, please write to Willdan at 2401 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 300, or call Willdan at our dedicated assistance line at 1-833-704-9394, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PST, excluding national holidays, and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST. 

What Can You Do. Willdan sincerely regrets any inconvenience this incident may have caused.  Willdan encourages you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.

You have the right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on your file at no cost.  An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years.  Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below:

You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. 

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

SOURCE Willdan Group, Inc.