| Last fall, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee | | | | pertaining to medical and credit information. |
| reported that 57 laptops were stolen. This | | | | BlueCross BlueShield identified more than a half |
| compromised thousands of phone calls and about | | | | million customers affected by the breach. It has |
| 300,000 screenshots of personal information | | | | spent about $7 million trying to resolve the issue, |
| viewed during the calls, according to a report in | | | | including sending hundreds of thousands of letters |
| Businessweek. | | | | and putting in more than 110,000 work-hours to |
| Most of the information pertained to BlueCross | | | | review compromised material. |
| BlueShield's internal identification numbers, name | | | | One laptop was stolen from the company's |
| and date of birth - not enough information to | | | | gastroenterology clinical services unit at the |
| result in identity theft. But some phone calls also | | | | University of Florida. It contained information |
| included Social Security numbers, which a thief | | | | regarding patients' Social Security numbers, |
| could use to perpetrate any number of identity | | | | names, addresses, medical records and medical |
| theft crimes, such as access a victim's medical | | | | procedure codes. |
| care or credit accounts. | | | | This information had been downloaded onto the |
| While BlueCross BlueShield said customers faced a | | | | computer by a Shands employee who believed |
| "low risk" of having their personal information | | | | the computer was encrypted. The employee has |
| misused, it offered them all a credit monitoring | | | | since been disciplined and reeducated on security |
| service to track their accounts. | | | | policies at the company, according to the report. |
| Identity theft is among the nation's fastest | | | | Shands spokesperson Kim Rose said the incident |
| growing crimes and affected more than 11 million | | | | reemphasized the importance of protecting |
| Americans last year, according to a report by | | | | information. |
| Javelin Strategy & Research. Credit monitoring is | | | | "We always work to educate employees on our |
| one way consumers can protect themselves | | | | privacy policies," she told the newspaper. "This has |
| against fraudulent activity. Consumers may also | | | | given us another reminder. |
| want to take measures to protect documents | | | | |