Hacker accesses Social Security numbers of 71,000 Indiana health care workers, credit card info of 5,600 others

The personal information — including Social Security numbers — of 71,000 Indiana state health care workers were accessed by a hacker in January.

The attacker accessed the data, as well as the credit card information of 5,600 individuals and businesses.

Notification letters have been sent to certified nurse’s aides, medication aides and home health aides, warning them to review credit reports for misuse.

Chris Cotterill, the director of IN.gov, the official state website, said Indiana officials hired Cybertrust to conduct an audit, and the security issues have been fixed.

Cotteril told SCMagazine.com today that state officials have meet with the Department of Justice, Indiana State Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service about the breach.

Cotterill also urged victims of the breach to obtain a 90-day credit report and monitor accounts for misuse.

Earlier this month, six Florida residents were arrested for using data stolen in the now-infamous TJX Companies data breach in a multimillion dollar state-wide credit scam.

TJX, the parent company of Marshalls and T.J. Maxx and other discount retailers, was the victim of a hack that breached the personal and financial information of an unknown number of customers in 2005 and again last year.

Click here to email Online Editor Frank Washkuch.

More in News

Twitter begins rollout of two-factor authentication to limit account takeovers

Following a series of high-profile Twitter account hijacks, the microblogging service finally has delivered two-factor authentication.

Commission offers suggestions for stemming online spy threat from China

The 100-page report mostly addresses alleged Chinese cyber espionage operations, and suggests it's time for U.S. government agencies and corporations to consider more proactive approaches, possibly including hack-backs.

Researchers link "Sunshop" group to recent espionage attacks

The IE exploit was most recently used in watering hole attacks directed at the U.S. Department of Labor website.