DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Rogue Penn Mutual employee may have accessed and disclosed customer personal and financial information

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Dissent

Penn Mutual Life Insurance reports that a former employee may have accessed and disclosed customer information.

Through their lawyers, Penn Mutual informed the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office on February 1 that despite their forensic efforts, they were not able to determine definitively which customer accounts were improperly accessed, but they believe that the employee may have improperly accessed and disclosed names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and bank account information for “a number of our accounts.”

The matter was referred to federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Secret Service is also involved in the investigation.

Because they could not determine precisely which accounts were accessed improperly or disclosed, the company decided to notify all customers whose accounts the employee was known to access, even though many of those accesses were likely appropriate and job-related.

To their credit, the opening paragraph of their notification to customers minces no words:

We are writing to make you aware that a former employee of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Penn Mutual”) accessed unlawfully from our records personal information of some of our clients and disclosed that information to others.

The rest of their notification later is written is a no-nonsense and very human tone, and even provides them with the Secret Service phone number and case number.

If I have any criticisms of their post-breach handling and reporting, it’s that; (1) they do not indicate when the breach(es) occurred – how long was this person in their employ and for how long might this have been going on?  (2) what steps have they taken  to prevent future recurrences of this type of incident? and (3) their phone support is only available during working hours Mon-Friday instead of having some evening or weekend hours for phone support.


Related:

  • Missouri Adopts New Data Breach Notice Law
  • Qantas obtains injunction to prevent hacked data’s release
  • Ransomware attack disrupts Korea's largest guarantee insurer
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network in Operation Eastwood
  • More than 100 British government personnel exposed by Ministry of Defence data leak
Category: Breach IncidentsBusiness SectorInsiderU.S.

Post navigation

← Access privileges error on Chapman University file allowed viewing of file with sensitive student information
Audit finds confidential data on NJ state computers sent to auction →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Missouri Adopts New Data Breach Notice Law
  • Qantas obtains injunction to prevent hacked data’s release
  • Ransomware attack disrupts Korea’s largest guarantee insurer
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network in Operation Eastwood
  • More than 100 British government personnel exposed by Ministry of Defence data leak
  • New TeleMessage SGNL Flaw Is Actively Being Exploited by Attackers
  • North Country Healthcare responds to Stormous’s claims of a breach
  • Gladney Adoption Center had serious data exposures in the past few months. What will they do to prevent more?
  • Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Meta investors, Zuckerberg reach settlement to end $8 billion trial over Facebook privacy violations
  • ICE is gaining access to trove of Medicaid records, adding new peril for immigrants
  • Microsoft can’t protect French data from US government access
  • Texas Enacts Electronic Health Record Data Localization Law
  • Upstate NY county clerk again refuses to enforce Texas abortion judgment
  • Attorney General James Leads Coalition Urging Congress to Protect Americans from Masked ICE Agents
  • Attorney General Tong Announces $85,000 Settlement with TicketNetwork for Violations of the Connecticut Data Privacy Act​

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.