ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In 2020, a data breach exposed information of millions of Americans, including New Mexico residents, according to New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. Now, the company responsible for handling that data is paying out millions.
In a multi-state settlement, software company Blackbaud will pay nearly $50 million after facing allegations that it used deficient security practices. New Mexico will get $476,196 from the settlement.
Attorneys general from around the U.S. went after Blackbaud, which handles data for nonprofits, after a 2020 ransomware event. The attorneys general say the data breach exposed contact info, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, health information, and more. The attorneys general also say the company downplayed the incident.
“These data breaches affect millions throughout our country. We need to begin taking these violations of our personal information seriously and that is what this settlement illustrates – our seriousness to bring massive data breaches to light,” New Mexico Attorney General Torrez said in a press release. “Thank you to our consumer protection team members for working on this settlement on behalf of all New Mexicans that had their information exposed.”
In addition to paying out millions, Blackbaud will boost transparency and implement better data safety practices under the settlement. The company will also receive third-party compliance assessments for seven years.
