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Applications Software Technology LLC (AST) W-2 Data Breach

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in

NOTICE: If you were employed by Applications Software Technology (AST) in 2019 and have received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777.

data-breach-ipadOn April 16, 2020, Applications Software Technology LLC (AST) announced a data breach involving confidential employee payroll information. The Illinois-based IT service provider is sending notices to affected parties to inform them of the data exposure. On or about March 9, 2020, an unauthorized party accessed a previously compromised employee email address. The attacker set up rules on the hacked email account to divert employees’ 2019 W-2 wage and tax statements to their own email account. It is unknown how many of AST’s nearly 1,200 employees were affected. The exposed information includes:
  • Full names
  • Home addresses
  • Wages
  • Social Security numbers
  • Employer information
  • Tax details
This data is now at risk for sale on the dark web. W-2 information has been known to be used for submission of fraudulent tax returns to the IRS to access victims’ tax refunds. AST is offering one year of identity theft prevention and mitigation services at no cost to employees. The company recommends that victims be alert for incidents of fraud and identity theft and report any suspicious activity on accounts. AST claims that they have scanned their systems to locate and clean malware infections and have implemented two-factor authentication protection on the email accounts of all employees. The company is conducting a vulnerability assessment to identify further mitigations, fixes, and improvements. AST claims the security incident did not affect any customer data. Founded in 1995, AST provides system integration services for nearly 400 public and commercial sector clients around the world with revenues in excess of an estimated $50 million.

If you were employed by Applications Software Technology (AST) in 2019 and have received a NOTICE OF DATA BREACH, contact the Arnold Law Firm at (916) 777-7777 to discuss your situation and possible legal options.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.