2023 was another busy year in the realm of data event and cybersecurity litigations, with several noteworthy developments in the realm of disputes and regulator activity.  Privacy World has been tracking these developments throughout the year.  Read on for key trends and what to expect going into the 2024.

Growth in Data Events Leads to Accompanying Increase in Claims

The number of reportable data events in the U.S. in 2023 reached an all-time high, surpassing the prior record set in 2021.  At bottom, threat actors continued to target entities across industries, with litigation frequently following disclosure of data events.  On the dispute front, 2023 saw several notable cybersecurity consumer class actions concerning the alleged unauthorized disclosure of sensitive personal information, including healthcare, genetic, and banking information.  Large putative class actions in these areas included, among others, lawsuits against the hospital system HCA Healthcare (estimated 11 million individuals involved in the underlying data event), DNA testing provider 23andMe (estimated 6.9 million individuals involved in the underlying data event), and mortgage business Mr. Cooper (estimated 14.6 million individuals involved in the underlying data event).