Cyberattackers Accessed HealthEquity Customer Info via Third Party

HealthEquity, a Utah-based health savings account (HSA) provider, has disclosed a data breach affecting 4.5 million customers across the US. The incident stemmed from a hack of a data repository maintained by a third party, a spokesperson confirmed.

The company said in the notice that a hacker managed to breach an "an unstructured data repository outside our core systems" containing customer data, making off with various kinds of personally identifiable information (PII). While the spokesperson confirmed that the repository was maintained by a third-party vendor, she declined to offer further details on the topography or supply chain implications beyond noting that internal systems, including transactional platforms and integrations, weren't impacted.

The stolen PII included a mix of benefits sign-up information that varied by customer. That mix could include name, address, phone number, employee ID, employer, Social Security number, and dependent information. In all, the heist offers crooks a treasure trove of social engineering information.

"By referencing a procedure or test that an individual might think is private and known only to medical professionals, bad actors can more easily build trust with potential victims," said Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, in an emailed statement.  

Related:AI in Healthcare Demands Vigilant Security Measures

Dwell Time & Response Anatomy

The initial access occurred on March 9, but it was only officially reported on June 26, according to a notice filed with the Maine Attorney General's Office. However, the dwell time for the cyberattackers before discovery was "much narrower" than that timeline would suggest, according to the company's spokesperson.

Rather than months, the attackers apparently went unnoticed for a little more than two weeks. The first inkling that there was a problem was a systems anomaly alert on March 25. HealthEquity said it took immediate action upon receiving the alert from its vendor, resolving the issue quickly and then kicking off an "extensive technical investigation and … data forensics" effort that lasted through June 10.

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