Healthcare company WebTPA reveals data breach impacting 2.5 million individuals

A Texas-based company specializing in health insurance and benefit plans, WebTPA, recently revealed a massive data breach affecting nearly 2.5 million individuals, with some having their Social Security numbers compromised. The breach was detected on December 28, 2023, after suspicious activity was noticed, prompting an investigation to secure the network.

According to the company, the unauthorized actor may have accessed personal information such as names, contact details, dates of birth and death, Social Security numbers, and insurance information between April 18 and April 23, 2023. Not all data elements were present for every individual impacted.

WebTPA reported the breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on May 8, disclosing that 2,429,175 individuals were affected, and the breach occurred on a network server. Despite multiple requests for comment, the company did not clarify how many individuals had their Social Security numbers stolen.

Fortunately, WebTPA stated that there has been no known misuse of benefit plan member information, and sensitive financial and medical information like credit card numbers and treatment details were not compromised in the breach.

If you have any information regarding this breach or similar incidents, you can securely contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on Signal, Telegram, Keybase, or Wire, or email him. You can also reach out to TechCrunch via SecureDrop. This breach serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding personal data in an increasingly digital world.