This Massive Data Breach Resulted in the Compromise of Nearly 7 Million Driver’s Licenses.
Another massive data breach puts consumers’ personal information at risk, exposing it to fraud and theft—this time, the AssuranceAmerica incident resulted in the exposure of nearly 7 million people’s insurance information, including driver’s license numbers.
AssuranceAmerica is an insurance company offering auto and renters insurance to residents of a dozen states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company recently reported a data breach that occurred in March of this year.
What happened as a result of the AssuranceAmerica data breach?
According to a data breach notification obtained by TechCrunch , AssuranceAmerica detected “suspicious activity” on its systems on March 17, presumably as a result of hackers targeting a company employee. An “unauthorized third party” was able to obtain and copy data files containing clients’ personal information, including the following:
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Names
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Contact information
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Auto insurance policy information or account details
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Information about the driver or vehicle
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Information regarding claims
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Driver’s license numbers
While all of this information can be used for malicious purposes, including phishing attacks, your driver’s license number poses a particularly high risk. Fraudsters can use your number to open financial accounts in your name, create fake IDs, change your mailing address, or create an entirely new identity to commit fraud. Driver’s license numbers are also sold on the dark web.
What to do if your data has been leaked?
As TechCrunch reports, AssuranceAmerica is expected to begin sending notifications to affected consumers starting July 10, so if you had a policy with the company, keep an eye on your inbox. Even if you don’t receive a letter, you should still take precautions if AssuranceAmerica has your information. Be on the lookout for subtle signs of identity theft . All the usual recommendations apply, such as freezing your credit report, setting up fraud alerts, and closely monitoring your financial accounts.
If your driver’s license number is leaked, you need to take additional steps to protect your identity. Experian recommends running a background check and requesting your driving record to identify any fraudulent or criminal activity using your personal information. You can request a new driver’s license number from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles if you have a police report or evidence of fraudulent use of your number.
AssuranceAmerica does not currently appear to offer any credit monitoring or identity theft protection services, although you can sign up for these services if you want to track activity on your accounts.