On January 30, 2023, NationsBenefits, a provider of supplemental benefits, flex cards, and member engagement solutions to health plans and managed care organizations, was the victim of a data breach. The breach exposed the personal information of approximately 3 million individuals, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and health plan subscriber identification numbers.
How Did the Breach Happen?
The breach was caused by a zero-day vulnerability in Fortra, LLC's GoAnywhere managed file transfer (MFT) software. GoAnywhere is a file transfer solution that is used by thousands of organizations to share large sets of data over the internet. The vulnerability allowed hackers to access and steal data from NationsBenefits' GoAnywhere server.
What Information Was Stolen?
The personal information that was stolen includes:
Names
Addresses
Telephone numbers
Dates of birth
Health plan subscriber identification numbers
What Can I Do?
If you were affected by the NationsBenefits data breach, you should take the following steps:
Sign up for credit monitoring and identity theft protection: This will help you to detect any unauthorized activity on your credit report.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report: This will make it more difficult for someone to open new accounts in your name.
Review your credit report for any unauthorized activity: You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year at annualcreditreport.com.
Be vigilant about your personal information: Be careful about what information you share online and with whom you share it.
What Is NationsBenefits Doing?
NationsBenefits is working with law enforcement to investigate the data breach. The company has also taken steps to secure its systems and prevent future breaches.
Conclusion
The NationsBenefits data breach is a serious incident that has exposed the personal information of millions of individuals. If you were affected by the breach, it is important to take steps to protect your identity and monitor your credit report for any unauthorized activity.
