Turke & Strauss LLP, a leading data breach law firm, is investigating Columbia Grain International, LLC, which does business as Columbia Grain, regarding its recent data breach. The Columbia Grain data breach involved sensitive personal identifiable information belonging to an undetermined number of individuals.
ABOUT COLUMBIA GRAIN INTERNATIONAL, LLC:
Columbia Grain is an agricultural supplier that specializes in growing grains and legumes. Founded in 1978, Columbia Grain has expanded to grow a variety of crops in both organic and conventional form, including bulk grain, pulses, beans, and oilseeds. Today, Columbia Grain operates over 45 grain elevators throughout Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington. Additionally, Columbia Grain has leveraged its strategically placed elevators to conduct business with more than 80 countries. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Grain employs over 240 individuals and contracts with approximately 8,000 farmers.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Recently, Columbia Grain discovered that it had experienced a data breach in which the sensitive personal identifiable information in its systems may have been accessed. Through its investigation, Columbia Grain determined that an unauthorized actor may have accessed this sensitive information on or around March 21, 2022. On November 23, 2022, Columbia Grain began notifying individuals whose information may have been impacted. The exact type of information has not been disclosed by Columbia Grain. However, according to state reporting guidelines, “personal information” can include the following types of information:
- Social Security number
- Driver’s license number
- Financial information
- Medical information
- Taxpayer information
- Personal identification number issued by the United States IRS
If you received a breach notification letter from Columbia Grain:
We would like to speak with you about your rights and potential legal remedies in response to this data breach. Please fill out the form, below, or contact us at (608) 237-1775 or sam@turkestrauss.com.
If you were impacted by the Columbia Grain data breach, you may consider taking the following steps to protect your personal information.
- Carefully review the breach notice and retain a copy;
- Enroll in the free credit monitoring service provided by Columbia Grain International, LLC;
- Change passwords and security questions for online accounts;
- Regularly review account statements for signs of fraud or unauthorized activity;
- Monitor credit reports for signs of identity theft; and
- Contact a credit bureau(s) to request a temporary fraud alert.