Conduent data breach already one of largest in U.S. history and keeps getting worse
Source: Mashable Tech
Things keep getting worse the more we learn about the Conduent data breach.
At least 25 million people were affected by the breach — and that’s just in two states. A report said 15 million people were affected in Texas, roughly half the state’s population. In Oregon, the Department of Justice reported that more than 10 million people were affected.
Conduent is a company that handles data for corporations, healthcare providers, and state agencies. Its clients include Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, according to NJ.com. The breached data may include users’ names, Social Security numbers, medical information, and health‑insurance information, according to a notice from the company1.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office was investigating the breach. “The Conduent data breach was likely the largest breach in U.S. history. If any insurance giant cut corners or has information that could help us prevent breaches like this in the future, I will work to uncover it,” Paxton said in a statement this month.
Conduent told NJ.com that it looks forward to “working cooperatively with the Texas Attorney General’s Office” and will provide “the relevant information, consistent with our longstanding practice of constructive engagement with regulators.”
The company plans to send out all breach notices by mid‑April.
How to check if you’re affected and what to do
Conduent will mail notices to affected consumers, which will let you know if your data has been breached. You can also check your information on Have I Been Pwned, a reliable source for data‑breach lookups.
If you have been affected, consider the following steps:
- Monitor your credit reports regularly.
- Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. See Mashable’s guide on how to enable two‑factor authentication.
- Place a credit freeze if you want a more drastic protective measure.
Footnotes
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Conduent breach notice: https://www.conduent.com/notice-2913678/ ↩