Attorney Michael T Gibson hit by ransomware attack, client data compromised

Car accident lawyer Michael T Gibson this week notified an undisclosed number of people about a July 2024 data breach that compromised their personal information. The attorney did not publicly disclose what information was impacted, and no cybercriminal groups have claimed responsibility for the attack as of time of writing.

“On approximately July 22, 2024, an unauthorized third party compromised the computer systems of one of Michael T. Gibson P.A.’s external IT vendors. This unauthorized party used access provided by this external provider to compromise Michael T. Gibson P.A.’s computer systems along with those of several other businesses,” the notice (PDF) states. “On July 22, 2024, the unauthorized party extracted files from Michael T. Gibson P.A.’s systems that may have included personally identifiable information. On July 23, these cybercriminals deployed ransomware on Michael T. Gibson P.A.’s systems, encrypting most of the firm’s computer network.”

It goes on to say, “Due to the volume of data at issue, Michael T Gibson P.A. is unable to identify with certainty the exact scope of the personal information they may have extracted.”

The notice does not say that the law firm will offer victims free identity theft protection or credit monitoring, which is the status quo for breaches involving Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal info.

Comparitech contacted Michael T Gibson for comment and will update this article if it responds.

Ransomware attacks on US law firms

Comparitech researchers recorded seven confirmed ransomware attacks on the US legal sector so far in 2024, affecting 7,016 records. This is on track for a significant decline from 2023, which saw 37 attack affect 1,580,241 records.

Some of the biggest attacks on law firms over the last two years include:

• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe – 637,620 records affected in a Feb 2023 attack by an unknown group
• Houser, LLP – 370,001 records affected in a May 2023 attack by ALPHV/BlackCat
• Greylock McKinnon Associates Inc. – 341,650 records affected in a May 2023 attack by an unknown group

Read more: Law firms hit with average ransom demand of $2.5 million

Michael T Gibson P.A. is a personal injury attorney in Orlando, Florida with a focus on auto accidents. It lists 22 staff members on its website.