What happened in the Premera data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 24, 2024
In March 2015, health insurance firm Premera Blue Cross disclosed a significant data breach that affected millions of users. The breach was a result of a sophisticated cyberattack, which exposed sensitive information of individuals, including personal, financial, and health plan clinical data. The incident occurred in the wake of other major breaches in the healthcare industry, highlighting the vulnerability of such organizations to cyber threats.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 11 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach encompassed names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, bank account information, and sensitive health plan clinical data.
How was Premera hacked?
In spring of 2014, a phishing email allowed hackers to install malware on Premera Blue Cross's systems, granting them access to sensitive member data. The breach remained undetected for nearly nine months until January 2015. Upon discovery, Premera Blue Cross reported the breach and later agreed to a settlement, which included implementing a corrective action plan to address potential HIPAA violations.
Premera's solution
In response to the hack, Premera Blue Cross took action to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. Although specific details about the enhanced security measures are not available, the company agreed to pay $6.85 million and implement a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules related to the breach. Additionally, the Office for Civil Rights required a robust corrective action plan that it will oversee for two years in addition to the monetary settlement.
How do I know if I was affected?
Premera Blue Cross reached out to affected users following the breach. If you believe you may have been affected but did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
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.
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.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
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 Premera's data breach, please contact Premera Blue Cross support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Premera 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 Premera data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 24, 2024
In March 2015, health insurance firm Premera Blue Cross disclosed a significant data breach that affected millions of users. The breach was a result of a sophisticated cyberattack, which exposed sensitive information of individuals, including personal, financial, and health plan clinical data. The incident occurred in the wake of other major breaches in the healthcare industry, highlighting the vulnerability of such organizations to cyber threats.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 11 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach encompassed names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, bank account information, and sensitive health plan clinical data.
How was Premera hacked?
In spring of 2014, a phishing email allowed hackers to install malware on Premera Blue Cross's systems, granting them access to sensitive member data. The breach remained undetected for nearly nine months until January 2015. Upon discovery, Premera Blue Cross reported the breach and later agreed to a settlement, which included implementing a corrective action plan to address potential HIPAA violations.
Premera's solution
In response to the hack, Premera Blue Cross took action to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. Although specific details about the enhanced security measures are not available, the company agreed to pay $6.85 million and implement a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules related to the breach. Additionally, the Office for Civil Rights required a robust corrective action plan that it will oversee for two years in addition to the monetary settlement.
How do I know if I was affected?
Premera Blue Cross reached out to affected users following the breach. If you believe you may have been affected but did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
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.
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.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
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 Premera's data breach, please contact Premera Blue Cross support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Premera 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 Premera data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 24, 2024
In March 2015, health insurance firm Premera Blue Cross disclosed a significant data breach that affected millions of users. The breach was a result of a sophisticated cyberattack, which exposed sensitive information of individuals, including personal, financial, and health plan clinical data. The incident occurred in the wake of other major breaches in the healthcare industry, highlighting the vulnerability of such organizations to cyber threats.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 11 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach encompassed names, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, bank account information, and sensitive health plan clinical data.
How was Premera hacked?
In spring of 2014, a phishing email allowed hackers to install malware on Premera Blue Cross's systems, granting them access to sensitive member data. The breach remained undetected for nearly nine months until January 2015. Upon discovery, Premera Blue Cross reported the breach and later agreed to a settlement, which included implementing a corrective action plan to address potential HIPAA violations.
Premera's solution
In response to the hack, Premera Blue Cross took action to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. Although specific details about the enhanced security measures are not available, the company agreed to pay $6.85 million and implement a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules related to the breach. Additionally, the Office for Civil Rights required a robust corrective action plan that it will oversee for two years in addition to the monetary settlement.
How do I know if I was affected?
Premera Blue Cross reached out to affected users following the breach. If you believe you may have been affected but did not receive a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
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.
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.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
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 Premera's data breach, please contact Premera Blue Cross support directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the Premera data breach, check out the following news articles:
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