Identity fraud breaches happen every day. The targets vary in size from individuals
to entire companies. Now, according to the Chicago Tribune, nearly every doctor in America is at risk for identity theft.
More specifically, 800,000 practicing physicians are now being notified of a
possible breach of their personal information.
According to the Tribune,
an employee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) violated security
protocol by transferring sensitive provider data to a personal computer, which
was then stolen out of a vehicle in August. The laptop reportedly contained
information such as Social
Security numbers, identification numbers and addresses for practicing
physicians across the country.
The BCBSA represents 39 Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance
companies nationwide.
There is currently no evidence to prove that the data has
been used maliciously, and a statement from the American Medical Association
(AMA) claims that the theft was not believed to have been committed with the intent
to steal physician identities since other vehicles in the vicinity were also
vandalized. With this in mind, the AMA urges physicians not to worry, and just
in case, the BCBSA is providing preventative credit monitoring services to
those affected.