Excerpt from K8 News Article, Published on Oct 23, 2024.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has alerted its members to a recent data breach involving personal information, resulting from a vendor’s security incident. The breach occurred through a system operated by Healthmine, a company managing the Blue Wellness Rewards program portal, and was discovered on August 26.
The unauthorized access allowed hackers to redeem digital gift cards illicitly while also exposing members’ names, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, and prescription histories. Fortunately, sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and financial details were not compromised, according to the company’s report.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield acted swiftly by notifying law enforcement and enlisting the help of a forensic investigation firm. In addition, Healthmine has disabled the affected accounts and blocked internet domains thought to be involved in the breach.
Members impacted by the incident will receive a letter with details on how to enroll in a free year of credit monitoring through Experian’s IdentityWorks program, providing additional protection against potential risks.
Max Greenwood, Vice President of Government and Media Affairs for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing that the company is treating the situation with utmost seriousness.
“We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to our members,” Greenwood said. “Investigators believe the goal of the breach was to steal gift cards rather than engage in identity theft, but we strongly encourage our members to take advantage of the credit monitoring services being offered.”
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield assures its members that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard their data in light of this breach, and further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
To delve deeper into this topic, please read the full article on K8 News.
