Janney Montgomery Scott Data Breach Exposes Social Security Numbers

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, a wealth management and financial services firm, disclosed a data breach involving its third-party vendor Alation, a data intelligence platform.

On Aug. 18, 2026, Alation detected unauthorized access to its system. The firm took steps to contain the intrusion and secure its systems, and it launched an investigation into the incident that same day.

As part of the investigation, Alation engaged external legal counsel to assist with its response. The legal team hired a digital forensics and incident response firm to determine what had happened and to conduct a review of any data that may have been compromised during the intrusion.

The investigation found that the unauthorized access first took place on Aug. 10, 2026.

On Sept. 1, 2026, Alation notified Janney that certain kinds of personal information belonging to some Janney clients had been impacted by the incident. Upon receiving this notification, Janney began its own review of the potentially compromised data using the information that Alation made available to the firm.

On Sept. 24, 2026, the firm determined that the potentially impacted personal information included names, addresses, Social Security numbers or Tax Identification Numbers and account numbers.

The breach was disclosed to the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation on Oct. 28, 2026. Janney began notifying affected individuals by written notice in October 2026.

Janney Montgomery Scott's response to the breach

Janney is offering affected individuals complimentary access to credit monitoring from Experian for a period of 24 months. The firm urged all of its clients to remain vigilant against cybersecurity threats and identity theft.

Individuals with questions or concerns about the breach can contact Janney at 215-665-6565 or by email at privacyofficer@janney.com.