Virginia Advises Insurance Agents of Security Breach

[lyger <lyger () attrition org>]

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2006/08/08/71296.htm

August 8, 2006

Virginia's Bureau of Insurance is advising all insurance agents in the 
state that their social security number may have been accessible on the 
bureau's website for a six-week period of time.

The social security numbers were not shown on any web page, but officials 
fear a savvy computer user could have found them using the source code 
tool of a web browser.

Although officials said the likelihood of finding an SSN was remote, 
access would have been possible from June 13 through July 31, 2006. The 
bureau said it immediately corrected the programming error the same day it 
was discovered.

The inadvertent access to an agent's SSN was caused during an upgrade to 
the bureau's web-site feature that allows the public to look up agency and 
agent information. This on-line feature is specifically designed to allow 
consumers to check whether an agency or individual is licensed in 
Virginia. It also shows the insurance companies to which an agent has been 
appointed to offer and sell their products.

[...]

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