Sarah Hutchins was quoted in Charlotte Inno, a publication of the Charlotte Business Journal, on class actions related to cybersecurity and data privacy continuing to rise in 2023. 

Sarah explained there are a variety of factors leading to the increase, including changes in businesses' website and targeted advertising practices, courts issuing new rulings based on those practices, and states increasingly passing their own data privacy laws. 

"That's just going to increase the chance that it's attractive to a plaintiff's attorney to form a class and bring a lawsuit as a result of a breach,” Sarah said. “And what that does is gives the plaintiff’s bar something to point to in certain instances as to what measures should be employed by businesses to safeguard the data that they collect, retain and use.”

She said that a broad variety of businesses and organizations are facing data privacy claims and cybersecurity breaches. The education sector in particular has been a target for hackers.

She also offered advice for organizations to reduce their risks, including through training personnel and investing in technical infrastructure and legal compliance.

You can read the full article here: Parker Poe attorney on surge in data security litigation and potential impact of state regulation

Charlotte Inno is a publication from the Charlotte Business Journal that focuses on innovation and technology.