Acuity Brands acuitybrands.com Acuity Brands data breach: what happened and what to do
Acuity Brands said an unauthorized party accessed its network on October 6 and 7, 2020 and tried to copy files. The company says only employee data was involved. Names and Social Security numbers may have been exposed. It disclosed the incident in December 2022.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 6 Oct 2020
- Made public
- 6 Dec 2022
- Data exposed
- Names, Social security numbers
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Acuity Brands, a lighting and building management company, published a data security incident notice in December 2022. It covers two separate incidents. The first, in October 2020, is the one on this page: an unauthorized party accessed Acuity's network on October 6 and 7, 2020 and tried to copy certain files out of it.
The second incident happened in December 2021 and is a separate event. Reports on the notice say the company found the 2020 intrusion while investigating the 2021 one.
Sources checked: acuitybrands.com, securityweek.com, consumer.ftc.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
Acuity's notice says the information involved may have included names and Social Security numbers. The company said only employee data was involved and that sensitive customer data wasn't affected. A class action over its data security followed in 2023.
A Social Security number is the detail that matters most here. With a name, it can be used to open credit accounts or file a false tax return, and the risk doesn't expire: the number doesn't change.
The company's response
Acuity said the incident didn't have a material impact on its business. Check your notice letter for the exact details involved in your case and for any credit monitoring offered.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Read your notice letter
It says which of your details were involved and any identity protection services Acuity offered. Use them if you have an offer.
- 2
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze is free and blocks new credit in your name. Contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately. The FTC explains the steps in its guide to credit freezes and fraud alerts.
- 3
Review your credit reports and statements
Look for accounts or charges you don't recognize. The FTC recommends reviewing your reports after a breach.
- 4
Report identity theft if you find it
Go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a recovery plan from the FTC.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Run a free Serus scan. Serus monitors breach databases and the dark web and alerts you, but it can't remove data from breaches.
Official filings
- California Attorney General , filed 6 Dec 2022
Timeline
-
The breach happened
-
The company made it public
-
Reported to the California Attorney General
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Acuity Brands breach?
Acuity says only employee data was involved. If you received a notice letter, your information was included.
What was exposed?
Acuity's notice says names and Social Security numbers may have been involved.
Is there a settlement?
A class action was filed in 2023, according to industry press. No settlement is reported in the sources listed on this page.
Should I freeze my credit?
If your Social Security number was involved, a credit freeze is a free step the FTC recommends. It doesn't affect your credit score.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
