ClearVoice Research.com, LLC ("CVR", "we", "us" or "our") is a provider of market research services that has been in business since 2006. Our services include maintaining panels of research participants who provide feedback to us on a number of topics.
In order to register to be a panel participant, each participant provides us with basic contact information (consisting of the participant's name, email, address, phone number, and an optional field for date of birth), and then answers a number of optional questions by checking boxes or responding yes/no on various topics, which may include the presence of general health conditions, political affiliation, ethnicity, or other user submitted information. We maintain this "profile data" information in databases on our secure network.
The privacy and protection of the personal information of our research panel participants is a matter we take very seriously, which is why we are providing this notice about a data theft incident involving some ClearVoice Research participants' personal information.
It is important to note that the data stolen from our database archive, which may have been exposed, does not include Protected Health Information, social security numbers, state ID numbers, credit card numbers, or other financial information. Furthermore, data collected from surveys was not exposed.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On April 17, 2021, we received an email from an individual stating he discovered a backup file of one of our databases had become publicly exposed. Upon receipt of this information, we immediately launched an investigation into the matter. Within an hour of receiving the email, we located the backup file, secured it and eliminated any further exposure to the file. We determined that the file contained weekly backups of our database from August and September 2015 and that the file had been inadvertently left unsecured due to a human error.
CVR uses a cloud service as its hosting provider and to store our databases and backups. A folder was created within this cloud service on September 17, 2015 to store the database backups. The folder these backups resided in was accessible to any individual who (a) was provided the link to it or (b) could use an automated tool or other means to locate publicly open files.
As part of our investigation, we conducted a comprehensive search of our databases and files, and determined that no other files had been exposed and our other folders were properly secured.
WHAT INFORMATION WAS INVOLVED?
The data that may have been exposed was limited to certain information provided by panel participants for use in market research. The files included participant contact information from 2015 (name, email, address, phone number, date of birth), plain text passwords from 2015, and, as applicable, responses to various questions which may include, but not be limited to, health condition, political affiliation, and ethnicity.
The data that may have been exposed did not include Protected Health Information, social security numbers, state ID numbers, credit card numbers or other financial information, or data collected from surveys.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
CVR values the privacy of our panel participants and deeply regrets that this incident occurred. We have conducted a thorough review of our system and believe that we have fully addressed this incident. CVR forced a password reset for all our panelist and members whose information had been potentially exposed in the backup file, and the credentials of all CVR employees have been changed. CVR has implemented additional security measures designed to prevent a recurrence of such an incident and to protect the privacy of CVR's valued panel participants.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
We have set up this web page to provide information, which will be updated, as additional information becomes available. If you have further questions regarding this incident, please email us at datainquiries@clearvoiceresearch.com. For media inquiries, please contact Paul Jacobson at (303) 548-6684.
We truly apologize for this incident and regret any inconvenience to our panel participants.