A significant data breach has exposed more than 250,000 documents containing personal and sensitive information, impacting individuals in the United States. Lasting for at least two weeks, the breach involved an unsecured database containing scans and images of various documents, such as vehicle registrations, driver’s licenses, insurance cards, vehicle titles, and state Medicaid health coverage cards. Discovered by security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, the exposed database was associated with USA Underwriters, prompting Fowler to contact the insurer with a responsible disclosure notice. After receiving no response, Fowler managed to secure the database by contacting someone at USA Underwriters via phone.
The breach took an unexpected turn when Fowler received a voicemail from an individual claiming to be a detective from the Detroit Police, suggesting a third-party vendor named RateForce owned the compromised database. RateForce is a platform facilitating online car insurance quote comparisons and ranked second on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the insurance industry in 2021. The compromised records revealed a significant presence of independent insurance agents, originating from agencies and car dealerships procuring insurance on behalf of their customers. The exposed data included customer names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, vehicle identification numbers (VINs), insurance policy details, and even social security numbers in plain text.
Initially thought to be owned by USA Underwriters, it was later confirmed that the database belonged to RateForce, highlighting the involvement of a third-party vendor. USA Underwriters clarified that they use a separate IT company for infrastructure management and disclaimed responsibility for the breached database. This incident underscores the risks associated with third-party vendors and emphasizes the need for stringent security measures and oversight when handling sensitive customer information.
