Washington National, Parent Company Hit with Class Action Over Data Breach Announced in January 2024

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Washington National Insurance Company and its parent company face a proposed class action over a cyberattack announced in January 2024 that reportedly compromised the personal data of more than 20,000 people.

Did you receive a data breach letter from Washington National? Let us know here.

The 52-page data breach lawsuit says the Indiana-based life insurance provider—a subsidiary of co-defendant CNO Financial Group, Inc.—discovered on November 29, 2023 that an unauthorized third party had gained access to its computer network and certain files stored therein. Per the suit, the compromised files contained customers’ names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and policy numbers.

According to the Washington National notice letter, the cyberattack involved a “SIM swapping” attack that targeted the cellular account of a CNO executive. The incident was made possible because a retailer for a major wireless carrier allowed the senior officer’s phone number to be switched to the threat actor’s phone without proper authorization, the notice explains.

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Despite the insurer’s data security obligations, Washington National negligently failed to implement adequate cybersecurity protocols and properly monitor its network for intrusions, the case claims.

The plaintiff, a Washington National customer residing in California, received notice from the company in late January 2024 informing her that her private information had been compromised in the breach, the complaint says.

Per the filing, the insurer has offered the plaintiff only one year of credit monitoring services—a gesture which the case argues is wholly inadequate in the face of the lifelong risks of identity theft and fraud the woman and other victims now suffer.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who had private information accessed and/or acquired as a result of the Washington National data breach, including those who were sent notice of the incident.

Did you receive a data breach letter from Washington National? Let us know here.