Another Day, Another Hack: US Health Insurer CareFirst Admits Of Hacking, 1.1 Million Customers' Data Compromised

By Kamal Nayan - 21 May '15 08:20AM

CareFirst, a US health insurer has admitted it has been hacked and the data of 1.1 million of its customers exposed. It's the third such company to fall victim to hackers recently.

The breach took place in June last year but it was only recently discovered. The attack is similar at Blue Cross, which has 11 million customers records stolen, and Anthem, which lost 80 million records.

Reportedly, the CareFirst database accessed included member names, birth dates, email addresses and identification numbers.

However, it did not include any social security numbers, medical claims, employment, financial information or credit card numbers.

"We deeply regret the concern this attack may cause," CareFirst chief executive Chet Burrell said.

"We are making sure those affected understand the extent of the attack - and what information was and was not affected."

The health insurer has total 3.4 million customers and operates in Maryland. The firm operates in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Investigators looking into the breach told US newspapers the methods used in it resembled earlier attacks blamed on China, an accusation denied by the Chinese authorities, BBC noted.