Just received a notice letter? Cases are filed first-come, first-served. You may be entitled to compensation.
HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the IL Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on February 5, 2026.
From the AG filing description
Hennessy Advisors, Inc. operates as a publicly traded investment management firm that designs, manages, and distributes mutual funds and specialized investment products for individual and institutional investors. Because of its core financial services operations, the company routinely collects, processes, and stores an extensive volume of highly sensitive non-public personal information. This includes detailed financial account details, investment portfolios, tax identification numbers, banking instructions, and core identity verification records necessary to facilitate wealth management services, dividend distributions, and regulatory compliance reporting. In 2026, Hennessy Advisors, Inc. formally reported a significant data security incident to the Illinois Attorney General, signaling a critical breakdown in its digital defensive architecture. In the financial services sector, incidents of this nature typically involve sophisticated cyberattacks, unauthorized intrusions into legacy databases, credential harvesting targeting employee or administrative accounts, or vulnerabilities exploited within third-party financial technology vendor systems. Financial institutions remain prime targets for malicious actors seeking to intercept transactional workflows, compromise sensitive databases, and exfiltrate lucrative consumer and investor records. The exposure resulting from this security failure places affected individuals at severe and ongoing risk of financial exploitation. Compromised data elements frequently include full legal names, Social Security numbers, banking account and routing numbers, dates of birth, and investment portfolio values. When combined, this information provides cybercriminals with the exact credentials necessary to execute unauthorized wire transfers, drain brokerage accounts, open fraudulent lines of credit, and engage in sophisticated tax and identity fraud. The harm caused by financial data exposure extends far beyond immediate monetary loss, often requiring victims to spend countless hours monitoring credit reports, freezing accounts, and disputing fraudulent transactions. As a registered investment adviser and financial institution, Hennessy Advisors, Inc. was legally bound by stringent regulatory frameworks, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and applicable state consumer protection statutes. These laws mandate the implementation of rigorous administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect sensitive customer records against foreseeable threats and unauthorized access. The occurrence of a data breach of this magnitude strongly indicates a failure to maintain adequate cybersecurity protocols, encryption standards, and continuous system monitoring, thereby breaching both statutory duties and implied contracts of confidentiality with its investors and clients. Receiving an official data breach notification letter from Hennessy Advisors, Inc. serves as formal legal admission that your private financial information was compromised due to inadequate corporate security. Under modern legal standards, the receipt of this notice establishes the concrete legal standing necessary to participate in a class action lawsuit aimed at holding the company accountable. Impactted individuals do not need to wait until direct financial theft occurs to take legal action; the increased risk of identity theft alone constitutes a compensable injury. Our firm evaluates these data breach cases on a strict contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket and owe no legal fees unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
You may have been affected by the HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC data breach if:
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
Courts recognize that the time spent monitoring accounts, placing credit freezes, and dealing with the aftermath of a breach has real economic value. This category of damages is recoverable even without direct financial loss.
Professional credit monitoring services cost $10–$40 per month. Identity theft restoration services, if needed, can cost hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. Courts have awarded these costs as direct damages in SSN breach cases.
Direct financial losses resulting from the breach — unauthorized charges, fraudulent transfers, or fees incurred through fraud — are recoverable as compensatory damages. Banks may reverse some charges; a class action recovers the remainder and associated costs.
Data breach victims regularly report anxiety, loss of sleep, and ongoing fear of identity theft. These non-economic harms are cognizable injuries in data breach litigation, particularly in cases involving SSN or medical record exposure.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
No. Under Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
State statutes of limitations for data breach claims typically run 2–4 years from the date of the breach or its discovery. Because this breach was recently disclosed, the window is open — but acting early preserves your options and strengthens the case.
Accepting free credit monitoring from HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Received a notification letter from HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC?
Read our dedicated guide — what the letter means and what to do.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in IL. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
HENNESSY ADVISORS, INC breach?
Free case review · No fee unless you win