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What happened in the Carefirst data breach?

What happened in the Carefirst data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2015, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their database. The incident highlighted the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive data in the healthcare industry.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 1.1 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, names, birth dates, insurance ID numbers, and other personal information.

How was Carefirst hacked?

Hackers breached CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's data security measures, resulting in unauthorized access to a database containing personal information of a million current and former members. The cyber attack was discovered by cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who was hired by CareFirst to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems. The exact methods used by the hackers to infiltrate the database remain undisclosed.

Carefirst's solution

In response to the hack, CareFirst took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company severed network connections with Change Healthcare to prevent any potential further risk to its members. CareFirst also hired cybersecurity firm Mandiant to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems, which led to the discovery of the cyber attack. Although specific actions taken to remove malware or backdoors were not mentioned, CareFirst announced that all affected members would receive a letter offering two free years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

How do I know if I was affected?

CareFirst notified affected users about the breach. If you are a CareFirst member and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to CareFirst's data breach, please contact CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the CareFirst data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

/

What happened in the Carefirst data breach?

What happened in the Carefirst data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2015, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their database. The incident highlighted the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive data in the healthcare industry.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 1.1 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, names, birth dates, insurance ID numbers, and other personal information.

How was Carefirst hacked?

Hackers breached CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's data security measures, resulting in unauthorized access to a database containing personal information of a million current and former members. The cyber attack was discovered by cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who was hired by CareFirst to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems. The exact methods used by the hackers to infiltrate the database remain undisclosed.

Carefirst's solution

In response to the hack, CareFirst took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company severed network connections with Change Healthcare to prevent any potential further risk to its members. CareFirst also hired cybersecurity firm Mandiant to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems, which led to the discovery of the cyber attack. Although specific actions taken to remove malware or backdoors were not mentioned, CareFirst announced that all affected members would receive a letter offering two free years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

How do I know if I was affected?

CareFirst notified affected users about the breach. If you are a CareFirst member and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to CareFirst's data breach, please contact CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the CareFirst data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Carefirst data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2015, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their database. The incident highlighted the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive data in the healthcare industry.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 1.1 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included email addresses, names, birth dates, insurance ID numbers, and other personal information.

How was Carefirst hacked?

Hackers breached CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's data security measures, resulting in unauthorized access to a database containing personal information of a million current and former members. The cyber attack was discovered by cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who was hired by CareFirst to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems. The exact methods used by the hackers to infiltrate the database remain undisclosed.

Carefirst's solution

In response to the hack, CareFirst took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company severed network connections with Change Healthcare to prevent any potential further risk to its members. CareFirst also hired cybersecurity firm Mandiant to study the vulnerability of their information technology systems, which led to the discovery of the cyber attack. Although specific actions taken to remove malware or backdoors were not mentioned, CareFirst announced that all affected members would receive a letter offering two free years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

How do I know if I was affected?

CareFirst notified affected users about the breach. If you are a CareFirst member and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to CareFirst's data breach, please contact CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the CareFirst data breach, check out the following news articles: