A former employee has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Everett-based Fluke Corporation, alleging hackers accessed sensitive personal information belonging to more than 18,000 current and former employees after exploiting a vulnerability in the company’s network.
The lawsuit was filed June 5 in U.S. District Court in Seattle by Everett resident Bradford Stewart, who alleges his personal information was among the data exposed in the breach.
According to the complaint, unauthorized cybercriminals gained access to a portion of Fluke’s network between Aug. 10 and Oct. 7, 2025, after exploiting a vulnerability in a third-party business application used by the company.
The lawsuit alleges the compromised information included employees’ names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and, for some individuals, information indicating whether they had self-identified as having a disability.
Fluke reported to the Maine Attorney General’s Office that 18,517 people were affected by the incident, according to the lawsuit.
Lawsuit Claims Employees Waited Months To Learn Of Breach
One of the central claims in the lawsuit is that affected employees were not informed for months after the breach was discovered.
According to the complaint, Fluke discovered suspicious activity on Sept. 29, 2025, but did not begin mailing notification letters to affected individuals until May 15, 2026.
The lawsuit states employees learned that hackers had gained access to sensitive information only after receiving those letters.
The lawsuit further alleges the notices left out important details, including the identity of the attackers, the specific third-party application involved, and how the breach occurred.
“To date, these omitted details have not been explained or clarified,” the complaint states.
Concerns Over Identity Theft
The lawsuit argues that the exposure of Social Security numbers and other personal information creates an ongoing risk of identity theft and fraud.
“Armed with the Private Information accessed in the Data Breach, data thieves can commit a variety of crimes,” the lawsuit states.
According to the complaint, those crimes could include opening financial accounts, obtaining loans, filing fraudulent tax returns, seeking government benefits or using stolen identities in other schemes.
The lawsuit also claims victims may face years of monitoring financial accounts and credit reports because Social Security numbers generally cannot be changed once compromised.
“It is little wonder that courts have dubbed a stolen Social Security number as the ‘gold standard’ for identity theft and fraud,” attorneys wrote.
Stewart alleges he has already spent time researching the breach and taking steps to protect himself after receiving notice that his information may have been exposed.
The lawsuit claims he has experienced anxiety, lost time, and an increased risk of future fraud as a result of the incident.
Company Accused Of Failing To Protect Data
The complaint alleges Fluke failed to implement reasonable cybersecurity safeguards and failed to adequately protect the personal information entrusted to the company by employees.
The lawsuit contends the breach could have been prevented through stronger security measures, including improved monitoring, encryption and other cybersecurity controls.
“Defendant failed to take adequate measures to protect its current and former employees’ Private Information,” the complaint alleges.
Attorneys argue the company had a duty to safeguard employee information because workers were required to provide sensitive personal data as a condition of employment.
Fluke, a subsidiary of Fortive Corporation, manufactures electronic testing, calibration and diagnostic equipment and is headquartered in Everett.
Seeking Class-Action Status
The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all current and former Fluke employees whose information was allegedly compromised in the breach.
Among other remedies, the plaintiffs are seeking damages, reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, credit-monitoring services and court-ordered improvements to Fluke’s cybersecurity systems.
A judge has not yet ruled on whether the case will proceed as a class action.
Puget Press has reached out to Fluke for comment.
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