The following is a Bankers Life announcement of a security incident that appears on HHS’s public breach tool under the name “CNO Financial Group, Inc.” According to the report to HHS, the breach affected 566,217 members protected health information.
On October 25, Bankers Life1 notified certain customers about a data security issue. We take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously and for this reason want you to understand what we are doing to address this issue.
If you have a Medicare Supplement policy issued by Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company, you may have also been directed to this site.
We recently discovered that unauthorized third parties accessed credentials belonging to a limited number of our employees between May 30 and September 13, 2018. During this period, unauthorized third parties used improperly obtained employee information to gain access to certain company websites, potentially resulting in unauthorized access to personal information of policyholders and applicants.
When we first learned of this activity on August 7, we began an investigation and notified federal law enforcement. We hired an external forensics investigator to conduct the investigation and took steps to further restrict and monitor access to our systems and to enhance additional security procedures.
We notified individuals as required by law and other individuals whose information may have been accessed by unauthorized third parties. We separately contacted a limited group of individuals where we know their information was accessed by the unauthorized third parties.
The personal information that may have been accessed included names, addresses, date of birth, insurance information (such as application or policy number, types of insurance, premiums, dates of service and claim amounts) and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. For the vast majority of people, our investigation has not identified any unauthorized access to full Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, bank account numbers, credit or debit card information, medications, diagnosis, or treatment plans.
We are offering free identity repair and credit monitoring services to all customers receiving notice of this incident. More information on how to enroll in these services can be found in the Reference Guide enclosed with your notification letter. We also encourage you to remain vigilant in monitoring your account statements and insurance transactions for incidents of fraud and identity theft, and to promptly report such incidents. We encourage you to routinely review bills, notices, statements and explanation of benefits that you receive from financial institutions, hospitals, doctors and health insurance companies.
We have included some frequently asked questions below. If you have other questions regarding this incident, please call (888) 250-5832 toll-free between 5 am – 5 pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, except holidays, or go to https://ide.myidcare.com/BankersLife. The toll-free number and website have been created specifically to answer questions about the incident and to assist with enrollment in identity repair and credit monitoring services.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Was I affected by this incident?
- We have notified certain individuals because some personal information may have been accessed by unauthorized third parties.
- These individuals were notified by letters that were mailed on October 25, 2018.
- What personal information may have been accessed?
- The personal information that may have been accessed included names, addresses, date of birth, insurance information (such as application or policy numbers, types of insurance, premiums, dates of service and claim amounts) and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
- For a very limited number of people, there may have been additional information disclosed. If you are within this small category of people, you would have received a letter from us specifically stating this.
- What is Bankers Life doing to prevent this kind of incident from happening again?
- Bankers Life takes the privacy and security of our customers’ personal information seriously.
- When we first learned of the unauthorized activity, we began an investigation and notified federal law enforcement.
- We also hired an external forensics investigator and took steps to further restrict and monitor access to our systems and to enhance additional security procedures.
- What steps can I take to protect myself?
- Bankers Life has arranged for ID Experts to provide all individuals that received a notification letter from us with identity repair and credit monitoring free of charge.
- You can enroll by going to https://ide.myidcare.com/BankersLife and using the enrollment code provided in the notification letter.
- The Reference Guide enclosed with the notification letter includes additional information on steps you can take to monitor and protect your personal information.
- Who should I contact if I have questions?
- Please call (888) 250-5832 with any questions, or for information on the identity protection services that are being provided.