Blackbaud Must Face Data Breach Claims Under Massachusetts Law

Blackbaud Inc. will have to face negligence and privacy claims brought over a 2020 ransomware attack that exposed nonprofit membership data under Massachusetts state law, after a federal judge ruled that the law of the state where the breached servers were located should control.

Charleston, S.C.-based Blackbaud provides software for nonprofits, educational institutions, and health-care organizations, among other groups. A prolonged data breach and ransomware attack exposed the personal data of people whose information was used by Blackbaud’s clients, according to a slew of lawsuits that were consolidated in December 2020 in South Carolina federal court.

The lawsuit involves 34 ...