Insurance industry takes protective stance against constant threat of data breaches

Over 1,000 Medicaid identification numbers may have been compromised in a recent breach of security protocol in North Carolina. An employee of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services inadvertently sent an email without first encrypting it, which contained protected health information for Medicaid recipients, including the individual’s first and last name, Medicaid identification number, provider name, and provider identification number. While the Department has no reason to believe that any information was compromised, the Department advised affected patients to take steps to protect themselves, such as putting a fraud alert on their credit files and monitoring their financial statements for unauthorized activity.

Individual insurance companies have also fallen victim to cyberattacks. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has made efforts to strengthen the insurance industry’s security position by launching the Cybersecurity Task Force, which is creating a framework for insurance companies to follow in the event of a security breach. The NAIC recently proposed a Cybersecurity Bill of Rights, which outlines the expectations of insurers when a data breach occurs and remedies for consumers who have suffered harm due to a breach. Consumer advocates, as well as insurance groups representing life, health, and property/casualty carriers, support the Cybersecurity Bill of Rights, but are pushing for changes, arguing that the document may create confusion for consumers because currently it implies that certain rights, which are not contained in all applicable state and federal laws, exist for all consumers. While the Cybersecurity Bill of Rights will not likely become a binding document, the Cybersecurity Task Force has been working alongside state insurance regulators, conducting examinations of insurance carrier’s protocols to determine whether sensitive data and confidential information are properly protected. One thing is for certain – the increase in data breaches nationwide will lead to more regulations affecting all areas of industry and eventually leading to additional lawsuits in compliance with said regulations.