Social Security number
2 articles with this tag
Covered California Agent Data Breach: Names, License Numbers and SSN or FEIN Exposed in a Phishing Incident, and What Agents Should Do
Covered California, California's health insurance marketplace, filed a data breach notification with the California Attorney General (reported October 16, 2026). The notice to agents says that on May 13, 2026 an unauthorized individual used a phishing scheme to gain access to information relating to agents, and that agent spreadsheets were accessed. Those spreadsheets included each agent's name, agency name, license number, FEIN or Social Security number, and role within the agency. The notice does not say how many agents are affected, does not mention enrollees' (consumers') data, and does not offer credit monitoring. Covered California recommends placing a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus and following the Attorney General's Breach Help tips. This site's take: licensed agents and agency staff should place a fraud alert or credit freeze now, treat unexpected messages that cite their license number or agency as suspect, and use the contact listed in the notice.
Florida Department of Education financial aid website breach (about 4.9 million people): Social Security numbers at risk — what to do
On October 29, 2026, the Florida Department of Education announced that its staff learned on October 19 of unauthorized criminal access to the Florida Student Financial Aid website (FloridaStudentFinancialAidSG.org). The department believes the incident was limited to that website and may have affected approximately 4.9 million individuals. The information potentially exposed may include Social Security numbers, first and last names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers (including mobile numbers), email addresses and gender identification codes (M or F). Not all individuals were necessarily affected. It says anyone who previously applied for financial aid in Florida may have been affected. The department says it activated its cybersecurity response protocols, notified the Florida Attorney General's office, and is working with the Florida Digital Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It says current financial aid, tuition payments, and eligibility for scholarships, grants and loans are not affected. The cause has not been published. This site's take: a Social Security number does not change, so check your credit reports, consider a fraud alert or credit freeze, and treat any message that uses your name, email or phone number and mentions this incident as suspect.