Plymouth Rock Assurance - Thoughts on Information Security
Posted by Michael McDermott on Fri, Jun 15, 2012 @ 09:27 AM
Hack Attack: New Report Shows Half of Massachusetts Has Been Hacked Since 2007
Are you a Massachusetts resident?
Hold on to your wallet: there’s a more than 50% chance you’ve been hacked.
According to a recent report by the state’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, more than half of Massachusetts residents—that’s about 3.2 million of us—have had their personal data stolen at some point during the past five years. From medical records to fraudulent charges racked up on credit and debit cards, identity theft is on a meteoric rise with no signs of stopping.
While no one type of business or institution seems immune from the threat, the juiciest targets for cyber hackers so far have been in health care, financial services, and retail—three areas that pretty much cover the spectrum of most people’s daily lives.
While laws to protect consumers are now in place (as of March 2010) to force businesses that store or transmit Massachusetts residents’ personal information to have a written security plan detailing how they intend to protect your personal data from theft or loss, it’s best to take precautions for yourself and your family—including your minor children, especially if they have a Social Security number.
Did you know? Bunker Hill Insurance Company provides their customers and household family members with unlimited, one-on-one access to Identity Theft 911®, a leader in identity management and fraud education all at no additional charge for this service.
The big breach: top security breaches by business sector in Massachusetts since 2005
The financial services industry reported the greatest number of security breaches in the state, with 955 incidents impacting the data and the lives of 901,156 people.
Labeled by IT professionals as “The TJX Effect,” Framingham retail giant TJX Corporation (parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores) reported a whooping 130+ million credit and debit card numbers stolen, forcing the entire retail industry to wake up and take action to protect their customers.
The health care industry experienced far fewer security breaches, with 214 incidents since 2007, but exposed far more people (more than 980,000 individuals), including around 800,000 patient records lost at South Shore Hospital alone in just one incident.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.