MalwareProfessional ServicesProfessional ServicesRansomwareRansom DemandedRansom PaidData EncryptedIdentity (basic)Government IDEmploymentFinancial accountMediumContained

Williams Adams & Company, CPAs

bd_86883cf52c956773 · schema v1 · pii pii-v1

Severity

Medium

Discovered

Jul 28, 2022

Filed

Sep 8, 2022

To disclose

6 weeks

Affected

10state residents only

Linked

2 filings

Confidence

66%

Full breach record for Williams Adams & Company, CPAs →

Williams Adams & Company, CPAs notified clients of a ransomware incident discovered on July 28, 2022, where network servers were encrypted by an unauthorized user. The firm paid a ransom to decrypt the network. While no sensitive information was confirmed compromised, potential exposure included names, SSNs, and financial data. The firm enhanced security, implemented MFA, and offered credit monitoring.

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Incident timeline

discovery → filing · 6 weeks / 42 days

Jul 28, 2022

Begins

Jul 28, 2022

Discovered

Sep 8, 2022

Filed

vs. sector median

14 wks faster

This filing is one of 2 filings about the same incident.View merged incident

Linked disclosures

Why this link?

Regulatory filings (1) · sorted by filing gap

Indiana State AGbd_1766b859a5b32f342022-09-09 · +1dVerified

Name: Williams Adams & Company, CPAs
norm: williams adams company cpas
Domain: williamsadams.com

Name: Williams Adams & Company, CPAs
norm: williams adams company cpas
Domain: williamsadams.com
Industry: Professional Servicesllm

Discovered: Jul 28, 2022
Breach occurred: Jul 28, 2022
Undetected for: 0 daysoccurrence → discovery
Materiality determined: —
Notification sent: —
Affected individuals: 10state-resident count only
Data types: Identity (basic)Government IDEmploymentFinancial account
Attack vector: Ransomware
MITRE ATT&CK: T1486 Data Encrypted for ImpactT1078 Valid Accounts
Threat actor: ExternalFinancial
Regulator citations: Working with the IRS and FTBEFIN has been changedIRS is monitoring our firm’s tax client filings to reject any returns filed fraudulently
Initial access: valid_credentials

During the incident: Engaged a forensic IT consultant to decrypt the network and/or restore it using our backup drives
Negotiated with and paid the threat actor to recover the data on our network
Immediate enhancements to our systems, security, and practices have been implemented
All passwords have been changed
A two-step authentication has been implemented for online system access
Engaged experts to assist us in conducting a full review of our security practices and systems
Working with the appropriate agencies on your behalf such as the IRS and FTB
EFIN has been changed
Providing access to Single Bureau Credit Monitoring services at no charge
Changes made: Implemented immediate enhancements to systems, security, and practices
Changed all passwords
Implemented two-step authentication for online system access
Engaged experts to conduct a full review of security practices and systems to ensure appropriate security protocols, including network firewalls, are in place
Source: Quoted from the filing itself, not independently verified.

Time to disclose: 6 weeks(42 days from discovery to filing)
Compliance flags: — (clock not assessable for this source)

Status: No extraction artifact recorded for this disclosure.

Filing propagation · 2 filings · 2 states

View merged incident ↗

Montana State AGSep 8 · first · this page

Indiana State AG+1d

Evidence ladder

Leak-site claim

Attacker assertion only. Establishes: claim date, group, alleged victim.

Press / market report

Unlocks: incident narrative, operational impact. Still no compliance clock.

State AG / regulator filingThis record

Unlocks: discovery date, data types, affected count, compliance clock.

SEC 8-K / victim statement

Unlocks: materiality, stated response, full audit trail. Ceiling removed.

Source URL: https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/OCP/Consumer-Notification-Letter-551.pdf
DisclosureLens links to the originating regulator URL — full filing bodies are not redistributed from public surfaces (§4.5).
Filed at: Sep 8, 2022
Raw hash: 96925cf5dd933c5907b65abd5b93cdd164ca6bb48a8ac18d06b6901ad56e72d9

Linked disclosures

Regulatory filings (1) · sorted by filing gap

Reporting entityWilliams Adams & Company, CPAs

Victim entityWilliams Adams & Company, CPAs

Incidentdiscovered Jul 28, 2022

Stated responseEngaged a forensic IT consultant to decrypt the network and/or restore it using our backup drives

Complianceclock not assessable

Extraction provenanceno artifact recorded

Source provenancedojmt.gov