Health Savings Account (HSA) HealthEquity suffered a major data breach that put the personal information of more than 4.3 million Americans at risk.
The company, which specializes in offering HSAs, variable spending accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and 401(k) retirement plans, confirmed that threat actors have stolen health information using compromised partner information.
This includes full names, home addresses, phone numbers, employer and employee IDs, Social Security numbers and more.
GET SECURITY INFORMATION, EXPERT TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT’S NEWSLETTER – CYBERGUY REPORT HERE.
What you need to know about the HealthEquity breach
HealthEquity has confirmed that it experienced a data breach in which the personal information of millions of Americans was compromised. In a Form 8-K filing filed on July 2, the company disclosed that hackers accessed this critical health information after using other related documents.
HealthEquity became aware of the compromised systems on March 25, and the investigation continued until June 10. The company’s data breach notice reads in part:
“We have discovered unauthorized access and disclosure of protected health information and/or personally identifiable information stored in an unstructured database outside of our core systems. On June 26, 2024, After verifying the information, unfortunately we have determined that some of your information was affected.”
Regarding notifications, the company tells us that the process of notifying customers – businesses and individuals – is ongoing. Affected individuals will receive a notification by email or text based on their choice of account communications.
The company says the data affected was account registration information and the benefits it administers. The information may include information on one or more of the following: first name, last name, address, phone number, employee ID, employer, Social Security number, social security number health, health plan member number, dependent information (for general information only), HealthEquity benefit type, diagnosis, prescription information, payment card information (but (not a payment card number) and/or HealthEquity account type. Not all data fields were affected for each member.
HealthEquity says it is not aware of any actual or attempted misuse of personal information as a result of this incident to date. We contacted HealthEquity, and a company representative gave CyberGuy this statement:
“The entire Purple team is committed to educating, assisting and supporting our partners, customers and members through this incident. We have acted immediately, quickly and intelligently since we first discovered the fault with our supplier. third. This involved quickly resolving the issue, assembling a team of external and internal experts to investigate, and preparing a response.
“Additionally, we filed a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which was not required, but represents our concern and our commitment to open communication. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this incident and we are working to minimize disruption while we take steps to help prevent this from happening in the future, Partner and customer notifications are ongoing, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. until now.
HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE INTERNET DATA
THIS IS WHAT RUTHLESS HACKERS STOLE FROM 110 MILLION AT&T CUSTOMERS
What does HealthEquity do about violations?
HealthEquity says it has secured the storage of the affected data. The vendor’s user accounts, which had access to the online data warehouse, were compromised, allowing hackers to access data stored there. HealthEquity has suspended all potentially compromised merchant accounts, terminated all active sessions and blocked all IP addresses associated with the actor’s activity. The company has also implemented a global password reset process for affected retailers.
HSA has also organized credit information review, insurance and reimbursement services for those affected by the opportunity. These services will be available for two years, free of charge, through Equifax.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS
WORLD’S LARGEST PASSWORD IS NAMED AT FORUM
8 steps you can take to protect yourself from a data breach
If you suspect you have been affected by this data breach, follow these steps to protect your information and privacy.
1. Invest in identity theft protection: If you have been affected by a data breach, fraudsters may try to impersonate you to gain access to your private information. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from this type of fraud is to sign up for an identity theft service.
Identity theft companies can monitor your personal information such as your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is sold on the dark web or used to open account. They can also help you freeze your bank and credit card accounts to prevent unauthorized use by criminals. Check out my tips and best options for protecting yourself against identity theft.
2. Invest in removal services: Investing in removal services is worthwhile, especially in light of data breaches like the recent one by HealthEquity. While no service can promise to remove all of your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to keep track of and automate the process of removing your personal information. your from hundreds of places for a long time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
3. Enter a fraud alert: Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) and request a fraud alert to be placed on your credit file. This will make it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name without verification.
4. Be careful when trying to cheat: Be wary of emails, calls or messages from unknown sources asking for your information. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or providing sensitive information unless you can confirm the authenticity of the request.
GET THE FOX BUSINESS AT CHECKOUT BY CLICKING HERE
The best way to protect yourself against clicking on malicious links that install malware that can access your private information is to install antivirus protection on all your devices. This can also alert you to phishing emails or ransomware scams Find out my picks for the best antivirus protection providers of 2024 for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
5. Check out Social Security benefits: It’s important to periodically check your Social Security benefits to make sure they haven’t been damaged or altered in any way, to protect your financial security and prevent potential theft. .
6. Change your password: You can make a stolen password useless to thieves simply by changing it. Choose a strong password – one you don’t use anywhere else. Better yet, consider allowing a password manager generate one for yourself.
7. Be aware of email messages: Bad actors can also try to scam you with snail mail. A data leak gives them access to your address. They may impersonate people or names you know, and use topics that require urgent attention, such as fast shipping, account suspension, and security alerts.
8. Contact the US Federal Trade Commission: If you see any unauthorized transactions in your financial accounts, you should notify the company or financial institution immediately. If you become aware of any incidents of identity theft or fraud, report them immediately to your local law enforcement authorities, the state attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission.
PHARMA GIANT’S DATA PROCESSING PHARMA GIANT’S DATABASE DISPLAYS VALUABLE PATIENT INFORMATION.
Kurt’s most important thing
HealthEquity’s data security highlights the need for strong online security measures, especially when it comes to protecting personal and health information. If you are affected by this violation, it is important to take action. Check your accounts and details for any unusual activity. Staying vigilant can protect you against identity theft and financial fraud.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Do you feel confident in the steps HealthEquity is taking to further protect your information? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
For my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by going to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you want us to cover.
Follow Kurt on his social channels:
Answers to CyberGuy’s most frequently asked questions:
Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
#million #Americans #exposed #health #savings #account #fraud