BayFirst Data Breach Exposes DOBs & SSNs

On Aug. 14, 2025, BayFirst Financial Corp. learned that a third-party marketing provider, Marquis Software Solutions Inc., experienced a cybersecurity incident resulting in unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. The data breach exposed personally identifiable information (PII) of thousands of banking customers, including individuals banking with BayFirst.

Marquis, which provides digital and physical marketing services for BayFirst and other financial institutions, detected suspicious activity on its network and determined it was the victim of a ransomware attack. The attack exploited Marquis’ SonicWall firewall, allowing an unauthorized party to access and potentially acquire files from its systems.

After launching an investigation with cybersecurity experts and notifying law enforcement, Marquis reviewed the compromised files and found that personal information from several business customers, including BayFirst, was included.

For BayFirst customers, the Marquis Software Solutions data breach exposed names, dates of birth, Social Security or tax identification numbers, and financial information. According to the Maine Attorney General’s data breach notification, two Maine residents were affected, but the total number of individuals impacted nationwide has not been specified.

BayFirst's response

Upon learning of the breach, BayFirst worked closely with Marquis to assess the scope of the incident and understand the potential impact on its customers. Marquis immediately engaged cybersecurity experts, launched a comprehensive investigation and notified federal law enforcement. The company also reviewed its security protocols and took additional steps to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.

As a precaution, Marquis is working with BayFirst to provide affected individuals with written notice of the incident and offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Epiq Privacy Solutions ID. Impacted customers are encouraged to enroll in these services, monitor their credit reports and account statements for any unauthorized activity and consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit files.

The notification letters include detailed instructions on how to activate the free credit monitoring and additional steps to protect personal information.