Bay Bridge Administrators Data Breach

Bay Bridge Administrators is a nationally recognized, third-party administrator specializing in providing comprehensive insurance and benefits administration services for independent insurance agents and brokers, public and private employers, and employee/policyholders. Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation for reliability and efficient service delivery; its customer-centric approach and expertise in managing complex insurance programs have also contributed to its standing in the industry. 

However, like all companies that handle sensitive personal information, Bay Bridge Administrators’ faces vulnerabilities to data breaches and cyberattacks. These risks include potential unauthorized access to client data, identity theft, financial loss, damage to reputation, and other actions that could severely impact both the company and its customers. Unfortunately, in 2022, the company fell victim to a significant data breach despite precautions against such events. This breach underscored the importance of vigilance and proactive security measures to stay ahead of the evolving nature of cyber threats in this digital age. 

When Was the Bay Bridge Administrators’ Data Breach?

In January 2023, Bay Bridge Administrators announced that it had experienced a network disruption on September 5, 2022. Investigations revealed that this disruption was due to a cyberattack. According to the company, an unauthorized party had accessed its network before August 25, 2022, and taken some data around September 3, 2022; a thorough investigation concluded on December 5, 2022, confirmed that customers’ personal information had been impacted in the incident. The compromised information included names, Social Security Numbers, driver’s license or state identification numbers, birth dates, medical information, and health insurance information.

How to Check If Your Data Was Breached

On December 29, 2022, following the conclusion of its investigations into the security breach, Bay Bridge Administrators sent out data breach notifications to affected customers, informing them of the incident. These notices detailed the events surrounding the cyberattack, steps the company had taken to contain the event and determine its scope, and actions the customers could take to mitigate their exposure and protect their information. The company also notified respective Attorneys General Offices of the situation - according to the notification sent to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the incident impacted more than 251,000 individuals. 

While it is unlikely that you were affected by the data breach if you did not receive a notification, you can still take action to confirm this by contacting the company. You should do this if either you, your employer, or your insurance provider shared your personal information with the company in relation to your enrollment in an employment insurance benefit plan for the 2022 calendar year. You can also check for possible data breaches by monitoring your bank accounts and credit reports for unusual activity and flagging them if you notice anything out of place. 

What to Do If Your Data Was Breached

Once it had been determined that the data breach had impacted customers' personal information, Bay Bridge Administrators offered affected customers complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services for 24 months. These services, which included free credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, fully managed identity recovery services, and $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage, were aimed at helping these affected customers resolve issues relating to the data breach. 

The company also recommended additional steps customers could take to further protect their information in the wake of the data breach, like:

• Reviewing account statements and notifying law enforcement and other relevant parties of any suspicious activities
• Obtaining free copies of credit reports from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) at least once every 12 months 
• Obtaining an identity protection PIN (IP PIN) from the IRS to prevent someone else from filing a tax return using their (the customer’s) Social Security number
• Placing fraud alerts on their accounts 
• Putting a security freeze on their credit file to prevent new credit from being opened in their name (when this is done, new credit can only be opened with the PIN issued when the freeze is initiated)

Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for any new information or instructions from Bay Bridge Administrators regarding further steps to follow or additional incidents of security breaches or ransomware attacks, particularly if you plan to continue using their services.

Are There Any Lawsuits Because of the Data Breach?

Yes, there were lawsuits against Bay Bridge Administrators due to its 2022 data breach. Phillips et al. v Bay Bridge Administrators, LLC is a notable example - the plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit claimed that the company failed to protect its customers by not implementing reasonable cybersecurity measures. A settlement was reached, with Bay Bridge Administrators agreeing to pay $2.5 million to resolve the claims without admitting any wrongdoing. Under this settlement, class members can get up to $5,000 for expenses related to the data breach. This includes costs like fraudulent charges and identity theft. They are also eligible for an extra payment, estimated at around $50, depending on the remaining funds after reimbursements. The deadline for exclusion or objection (to the settlement) is June 24, 2024, with the final approval hearing slated for July 30, 2024.

Can My Bay Bridge Administrators’ Information Be Used for Identity Theft?

Absolutely! Data accessed during the Bay Bridge Administrators data breach could be used for identity theft. This breach exposed information like names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and health details, which cyber criminals could misuse to do all kinds of identity scams, like opening fake accounts, filing bogus tax returns, or getting services under your name. As such, if a data breach has impacted you, it is crucial to keep an eye on your accounts and credit reports for anything suspicious; you should also consider using identity theft protection services.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself Online?

Firms like Bay Bridge Administrators are integral to the administration of employee benefit plans. However, the fact that these firms handle sensitive personal and health information makes them targets for data breaches by malicious entities seeking to exploit this data. The 2022 Bay Bridge Administrators data breach and subsequent lawsuits highlight the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard against such risks and preserve customer confidence. As a client, reinforcing your own cybersecurity can also help shield you from the repercussions of data breaches and prevent unauthorized access by nefarious actors. Some actions you can take to do this include:

• Create strong and distinct passwords for your accounts, and refrain from using the same password for multiple services.
• Turn on two-factor authentication to enhance your account security.
• Check your financial and digital accounts regularly for signs of unauthorized activity, and consider subscribing to a credit monitoring service.
• Do not use public free Wi-Fi networks for sensitive transactions. 
• Do not click on suspicious links or email attachments, and always confirm the legitimacy of requests for personal information.
• Keep your operating system, apps, and antivirus programs up-to-date to defend against security flaws.

Try to stay abreast of new cybersecurity threats and recommended practices. You can do this by signing up for free cybersecurity newsletters and data breach updates with IDStrong.