Kennedys warns lawsuits rising for small breaches
Smaller data breaches now trigger multiple lawsuits even when they affect fewer people than past incidents. Josh Mooney works as the American cyber practice leader at Kennedys law firm and said attacks involving tens of thousands of victims routinely face legal action across several states. Breaches touching 20,000 people once passed without court filings, but similar events today produce six to eight separate cases that merge into consolidated claims.
State laws force companies to announce breaches publicly when they cannot contact affected individuals directly. These mandatory disclosures spark immediate class action complaints. Regulators examine security programs that existed when attacks occurred and cannot accept improvements made afterward. Defense lawyers first challenge whether plaintiffs suffered real harm or face credible future risk before cases advance to settlement talks.
