Insurance Software Company Leaks 28 Million Texas Driver Records by Mistakes

Vertafore, an insurance software maker, has announced that it accidentally leaked Texas driver license information of almost 28 million people, including names and addresses.

It”s one thing to get hit by a ransomware attack or a severe data breach, but sometimes companies make mistakes and inadvertently leak data themselves. It”s a common problem caused by misconfigurations, which is exactly what happened with Vertafore.

“Vertafore recently determined that as a result of human error, three data files were inadvertently stored in an unsecured external storage service that appears to have been accessed without authorization,” said the company.

“The files, which included driver information for licenses issued before February 2019, contained Texas driver license numbers, as well as names, dates of birth, addresses and vehicle registration histories. They did not contain any Social Security numbers or financial account information.”

An initial investigation revealed that the files were accessed at some point between March 11 and August 1, but that was all the company learned about the intrusion.

Vertafore also said that, while no financial information seems to have been stolen, it”s a good idea to enroll in free credit monitoring and identity restoration services, allowing users to keep an eye on their digital financial persona.

Until now, the data seems to have stayed out of the black market, but that might only be a matter of time. So much private information is considered a treasure trove for attackers, so any Texas drivers should keep an eye on their credit cards and other financial tools.