Beautiful Brands International Targeted by Hackers

A security breach has occurred with a large company, Beautiful Brands International. Beautiful Brands International owns nationwide brands like Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafe, Rex’s Bite Size Chicken, and In the Raw Sushi, among others.

It appears as though computer hackers were able to hack into Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe’s credit card processing system, stealing debit card and credit card numbers for fraud. Although there have been no complaints of fraudulent activities (yet), the Secret Service is taking this issue under their wing due to the fact that it is a nationwide issue, affecting stores from California to New York.

The investigation is continuing, but it is deemed safe to utilize your credit cards and debit cards at other Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe locations around the United States, as no official complaints of fraudulent card use has been reported. However, it is strongly encouraged that those who may have been affected invest in credit monitoring services.

Lost Data Tape Gives Reason for Concern to Some 13,000 People

One of two data tapes has gone missing from off-site storage vendor Augusta Data Storage, Inc. in Augusta, Georgia. The data tapes, which were being stored for the University Hospital in August, Georgia, contained technical lab data backups from 2008. The tape went missing in March and has yet to be found.

Although the data tapes are difficult to decipher and are not easily accessible when it comes to patient information, the University Hospital is offering those who may have been affected a year of free credit monitoring services due to the missing data tape. This is a potential breach, and no reports have been made regarding misuse of patient information; however, the University is taking the appropriate steps to protect its patients and ensure that this loss of information does not happen again in the future.

If you have further reason to believe you may become a victim of identity theft then you should also review the identity theft protection companies here at Credit Protection Pro and see which one is best suited to protect you.

Laptop Stolen and Leaves Oregon National Guard Worried about Their Soldier’s Information

Oregon National Guard soldiers are being notified of a laptop theft that occurred recently from a Guard member’s vehicle in Portland. The reason the laptop is of such importance is because it stored the personal information of a large number of soldiers. Although the laptop was password protected, the Oregon National Guard is still highly concerned that the information is out there and that experienced hackers may still be able to access the files and obtain the data stored.

The theft was reported to the Portland Police Bureau the day before the Oregon National Guard notified the public of the data breach, and letters are being sent to all of those who may have been affected. It is highly recommended that identity theft protection be obtained for all those worried about the use of their data from unapproved sources. And really, who is in this day and age isn’t worried about identity theft.

Identity Theft Protection Services Being Offered by California Health Insurance Company after Information Accessible Online

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in California is sending out letters and a statement regarding a data breach that happened on their website to over 230,000 of their customers.

It was found that a number of files of pending insurance claims was accessible online for a period of time in which personal information was allowed to be viewed by the public with some simple web address and URL manipulation. Social Security numbers and other information that could be used in identity theft was accessible and was immediately caught and reviewed upon discovering the accessible files.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has sent out letters offering one year of free identity theft protection services due to the incident. However, those who have been notified of the security breach are still unhappy, if not downright mad, that the information was so unsecured and available like it was. You would be too if that was your private information just ready to be stolen by an identity thief.

Florida University Notifying Almost 20,000 Students and Faculty after Noticing Unsecured Database File Available Online

Florida International University found in early May that a database file containing personally identifiable information of their students and faculty members was exposed online for public access for an undetermined amount of time.

The file, which contained Social Security numbers, was found to be accessible online to the public through a database’s search function, and was not found to be in a secured environment. The incident was discovered after the IT department was reviewing the website after being notified of a hacking incident, and the database was immediately secured. However, they are unsure of how long the information was accessible online and are in the process of conducting a further investigation and continued practice in securing the campus’s students’ personal data.

A letter has been sent to students and faculty notifying them of the incident, and encourages them to monitor their credit reports for unusual or fraudulent activities. This can be done by finding the best credit monitoring service or an identity theft protection service, which are available to the public at a small cost.

Virginia Student Accesses Computer File With Social Security Numbers of Local Area Students

On May 6th, an Ocean Lakes High School student accessed a computer file on campus computers that had the personal, identifiable information of over 16,000 students in the 22 Virginia Beach area schools, and attempted to print the documents onto the library’s printer. A librarian noticed the printout and contacted the IT department, which immediately took action to protect the files and make them more secure.

The student who accessed the files has not been charged with any criminal activity since the information was never actually used, but he has been reprimanded in other ways by school officials for accessing the files and not notifying a school employee about the unsecured information. He is being punished for unauthorized use of the school’s computer technology.

In the meantime, Virginia Beach school parents are being notified by letter of the May incident involving this student, and are encouraged to monitor their credit reports for any unusual or suspicious activity since the file did reveal the Social Security numbers of the students and personal information that could be used in identity theft, such as birth dates, addresses, and the like. Credit monitoring services and identity theft protection services are highly recommended for any Virginia Beach area parents that are worried about the security of their financial and personal accounts.

Kentucky Psychiatric Hospital Notifying Over 24,000 Individuals of Possible Data and Security Breach

Our Lady of Peace, a hospital specializing in psychiatric care in the Louisville, Kentucky area, is in the process of letting almost 25,000 individuals of a missing flash drive containing personal information on patients assessed for care from 2002 onward.

The information contained on the flash drive that went missing sometime around April 1st, 2010, was unencrypted personal data on patients that were assessed for possibly care at Our Lady of Peace, but were not admitted to the hospital. The information includes names, insurance information, and medical data, but does not include Social Security numbers, birthdates, contact information or medical diagnosis or treatment data.

In addition to notifying those who may have been affected, Our Lady of Peace is also providing further education for their employees to help them understand different ways to protect patient information through encryption and using other technological abilities in order to further protect current and future patients of Our Lady of Peace hospital. In the meantime, anyone concerned of their personal identity being stolen or misused is encouraged to consider credit monitoring services and identity theft protection services offered through numerous companies around the nation.

Defunct Company Records Found Dumped on Church Lot

Nursing Visioned Medical Services, a Nashville, Tennessee company that was bought out by Impulse Monitoring, Inc. after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy the beginning of 2009, is under speculation after patient information was dumped on a church parking lot.

The records that were found at Nashville Center Point Church of the Nazarene included records, medical information, Social Security numbers and bank data of patients that had been cared for by the previous company, NVMS.

Officials in Nashville are looking into the situation and conducting an investigation to determine who dumped the paperwork and who had access to it. The previous owner of NVMS claims that all paperwork was given to the new company when it was bought out, but Impulse Monitoring, Inc. claims this was not paperwork that was in their possession.

For anyone who was a past patient of NVMS, it is encouraged that they sign up for or participate in some sort of identity theft protectionservice or find the best credit monitoring serviceto check for unusual or suspicious activity on any of their financial accounts due to this incident.

Chicago, Illinois Hospice Company Loses Personal Client Data After Laptop Computer Theft Occurs

July 7, 2010

Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care of Chicago, Illinois recently notified it’s clients of a potential privacy breach that was initiated back in April after a laptop computer storing personal financial and medical information was stolen during a home visit to a client’s location.

The laptop, which contained information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, insurance and medical information and other data that could be considered sensitive, personal information, was password protected and encrypted, but even then, Rainbow Hospice is offering a year of free identity theft protection servicesthrough Debix to ensure those affected that their data is being monitored and that their personal information will not be used inappropriately if it was indeed accessed by the thief.

Pennsylvania State University Sends Letters to Over 15,000 Due to Suspected Security Breach on the School Database

July 6, 2010

A notification letter was sent to some 115,000 individuals associated with Pennsylvania State University after it was found that a computer database in their Outreach Market Research and Data Office was hacked.

This computer contained some archived files that included Social Security Numbers of students and employees from 2005, and it is unknown whether this information was accessed by the computer hacker.

Penn State’s officials recommend that even though they do not suspect that the data was accessed, they do specify in the breach notification letter ways to prevent identity theft with credit monitoring services.

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