Turke & Strauss LLP, a leading data breach law firm, is investigating Institute of Food Technologists (“IFT”) regarding its recent data breach. The IFT data breach involved sensitive personal identifiable information and protected health information belonging to an undetermined number of individuals.
ABOUT INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS:
IFT is a non-profit organization focused on food technology. Founded in 1939, IFT is a forum for science of food professionals and technologists to collaborate, learn, and contribute, with the goal of inspiring and transforming collective scientific knowledge into innovative solutions for the benefit of all people around the world.2 Today, IFT works to provide each and every person on the planet with a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply.3 Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, IFT employs over 50 individuals.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Recently, IFT discovered that it had experienced a data breach in which sensitive personal information and protected health information in its systems may have been accessed and acquired. Through its investigation, IFT determined that an unauthorized party may have accessed this sensitive personal information between April 25 and April 26, 2023. On February 28, 2024, IFT began notifying individuals whose information may have been impacted. The type of information potentially exposed includes:
- Name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Driver’s license or state ID number
- Passport number
- Username/email address and password
- Financial information (e.g., account information, routing number, credit and/or debit card number, security code/pin)
- Digital signature
- Medical information (e.g., medical diagnosis information, medical condition or treatment information, medical provider name, prescription information)
- Health insurance information
If you received a breach notification letter from Institute of Food Technologists:
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 IFT 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 any free credit monitoring services provided by Institute of Food Technologists:
- 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.