LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Administrators with Arkansas Blue Cross/BlueAdvantage and Health Advantage announced their support for current and former members whose information was accessed through a vendor via a ransomware attack.
Steps are being taken by the vendor to protect the information of approximately 12,328 members who may have been affected.
The ransomware attack occurred at North Highland Company, LLC— a company that previously conducted customer satisfaction surveys for Arkansas Blue Cross.
The company had members' personal information stored in their computer files that may have been exposed during the ransomware attack.
It is important to note that this incident did not involve any Arkansas Blue Cross data or computer systems, and was only limited to North Highland and its computer records.
Following the incident, North Highland mailed letters to affected members notifying them of the attack.
Additionally, they included instructions on how to sign up for 12 months of free identity detection, resolution of identity theft, and credit monitoring services that will be provided by North Highland.
Kathy Ryan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Arkansas Blue Cross, said that their top priority is keeping members' personal information safe.
“We understand the inconvenience and frustration that this incident creates. We hope to alleviate concerns by informing members of the valuable services being made available to help protect their information," said Ryan.
The investigation will continue at North Highland alongside law enforcement personnel.
“While this incident did not occur at Arkansas Blue Cross/BlueAdvantage or Health Advantage, we want our affected members to know that we take this data event very seriously,” he added.
While the company has no indication that the information stolen has been used illegally, they are exercising extra caution to protect their members.
Information potentially exposed during the ransomware attack could include names, dates of birth, member IDs, diagnostic codes, procedural codes, genders, and certain provider information.
According to North Highland, members' financial information and social security were unaffected by this ransomware attack.
“We encourage members to be watching for the upcoming letter from North Highland containing more details and contact information should they have any questions regarding the protection services being provided to them by North Highland,” said Ryan.