Aetna Screws its Customers

Stupid Aetna employee was probably kicking back having Margaritas at the local pub while criminals broke into his car to steal his laptop. So now 38,000 Aetna customers have had their socials, names and addies exposed. Who needs a phishing scam with choice tidbits like this?

From CNET Here:

Aetna says laptop with member data stolen

Health insurer Aetna on Wednesday said a laptop computer containing personal information on about 38,000 of its members was stolen from an employee’s car.

The data includes names, addresses and Social Security numbers, spokeswoman Cynthia Michener said. No personal banking information or health claim data was on the laptop, she added.

The members are employees of two companies that are Aetna customers, the company said in a statement. Michener said the two companies had asked that their names not be disclosed.

“They wanted all of their employees to have received their notifications directly before releasing their name,” Michener said.

Aetna, with about 27.9 million members, is one of the largest health care insurers in the United States.

The company said it is working to notify all affected members by letter. Aetna has offered to pay for credit monitoring services for the affected members to help prevent potential misuse of the information.
In other news:

The car was broken into while it was in an outdoor public parking lot, Michener said. The doors were locked, she added.

Aetna said it deeply regrets the incident and has apologized to its members.

Laptops are choice targets for criminals. And if a laptop has personal data on it, it should be carefully guarded, and certainly not left on the passenger seat of a car.