Grayback Forestry Data Breach exposes PII of 5k

Grayback Forestry Inc., a wildfire suppression and forest restoration company headquartered in Merlin, Oregon, disclosed a data breach that occurred in early January 2026 and affected approximately 5,026 individuals in the United States, including 511 Montana residents.

The breach was also reported to attorneys general in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.

On Jan. 6, 2026, Grayback Forestry became aware of suspicious activity within its computer systems. Upon discovering the activity, the company said it took steps to secure its systems. Grayback Forestry also engaged external cybersecurity specialists to conduct a full investigation into the nature, scope and impact of the event.

The investigation confirmed that an unauthorized actor gained access to certain Grayback Forestry computer systems and likely copied files from those systems between Jan. 5, 2026, and Jan. 6, 2026.

Following this discovery, the company undertook a review to determine whether the affected files contained sensitive personal information and to identify the specific individuals whose data was involved in the breach. Individuals received notice because the review determined that their information was present in the files that were accessed and potentially copied.

The types of personal information exposed in the breach included names and Social Security numbers. The specific types of information affected varied from person to person, according to the company's notice to consumers.

Grayback Forestry's response to the breach

Grayback Forestry is offering all affected individuals 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring and identity restoration services through CyEx's Financial Shield Complete product at no cost.

To enroll in the credit monitoring services, affected individuals should visit the Financial Shield enrollment page and enter the unique activation code that was included in their written notification letter. The deadline to enroll is June 11, 2026.

Grayback Forestry has set up a dedicated assistance line for individuals who have questions about the breach or need help with the enrollment process. Affected individuals can call 844-953-0827 or write to the company at P.O. Box 838, Merlin, OR 97532.