Over half a million people impacted by major data breach — full names, SSNs, financial data and more exposed – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

By Anthony Spadafora

Tom’s Guide

Search Tom’s Guide

View Profile

Newsletters

Best Picks

Entertainment

Prime Day Deals
Switch 2 Restock

Galaxy Z Fold 7
Wordle Today

Best Mattress
Best laptops

You may like

1.6 million hit in massive insurance data breach — full names, addresses, SSNs and more exposed

Over 700K people hit in major healthcare data breach — full names, SSNs, medical info and more exposed

More than 184 million passwords exposed in massive data breach — Apple, Google, Microsoft and more

Here’s everything you need to know about this major data breach including some tips and tricks to help you to stay safe from hackers if your personal information was compromised.

Impacted companies and compromised data

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Even if you’ve never heard of Kelly Benefits before, chances are that a company you do business with relies on its services which include benefits consulting, enrollment technology, payroll administration, carrier management and more.
In fact, in a public data breach notice recently published on its site, the firm explained that a total of 46 companies are impacted as a result of the breach. Here are some of the most popular and well-known ones but you can check the page linked above for the full list:

United Healthcare
Aetna Life Insurance Company (CVS Health)
Humana Insurance ACE
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
In addition to that notice, Kelly Benefits also sent out personalized ones (example here) to impacted individuals explaining the specific data types that were compromised. This is because the exposed personal, financial and health info varies per person.

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Surprisingly though, as BleepingComputer points out, in its public data breach notice, Kelly Benefits says that the compromised data may include the full names, Social Security numbers, tax ID numbers, dates of birth, medical and health insurance info and financial account info of those caught up in this breach.
With all of that information in hand, the hackers responsible for this data breach could launch targeting phishing attacks, all sorts of different scams or worse, they could try to commit identity theft.
How to stay safe after a data breach

(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Due to U.S. laws, when a company is hit by a data breach, they have to inform you regarding what type of data was stolen. However, just like when dealing with the IRS, data breach notification letters typically arrive via traditional mail as opposed to in an email, text message or phone call.
If a company you’re a customer of does business with Kelly Benefits, then you’re going to want to keep a close eye on your mailbox over the next few days/weeks. The reason being is that your personalized data breach notification letter will let you know exactly what types of your personal, financial or medical data were compromised.
At the same time, Kelly Benefits is offering free access to one of the best identity theft protection services from IDX for affected individuals for a full year. The letter will likely contain an enrollment code that you can use to redeem this offer if you want to take the company up on it. And you should, since identity theft protection services can help you regain your identity after an incident like this one but they can also help you recover any funds lost to fraud as a result of this data breach.
From there, you’re going to want to monitor all of your financial accounts for signs of fraud or abuse. Another step that may be worth taking is to freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This way, cybercriminals with access to this stolen data won’t be able to take out loans in your name.
Even if you try your hardest to avoid falling victim to a data breach, as you see here, you can easily get wrapped up in one as a result of a company you do business with relying on another firm’s services. This is why you need to take action immediately when you learn that your personal or financial information was exposed as the result of a data breach.
Now that cyberattacks and data breaches becoming a much more common occurrence though, you should always carefully monitor your personal and financial accounts for anything amiss since early detection can save you a whole lot of hassle later on.
More from Tom’s Guide

Major security flaw exposes Sony, JBL and Bose headphones to hijacking threat — how to stay safe
61 million Verizon records reportedly for sale online — including date of birth, tax ID and phone numbers
FBI warns scammers are posing as fraud investigators to steal sensitive healthcare info

Today’s best Aura Identity Theft Protection deals

Aura Identity Theft Protection –

at Aura Inc

Aura Identity Theft Protection – Couple

at Aura Inc

Aura Identity Theft Protection – Family

at Aura Inc

See more Computing News

Anthony Spadafora

Social Links Navigation
Managing Editor Security and Home Office

Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

1.6 million hit in massive insurance data breach — full names, addresses, SSNs and more exposed

Over 700K people hit in major healthcare data breach — full names, SSNs, medical info and more exposed

More than 184 million passwords exposed in massive data breach — Apple, Google, Microsoft and more

Hertz confirms data breach that exposed credit cards, drivers’ licenses and more — what to do now

16 billion password data breach hits Apple, Google, Facebook and more — LIVE updates and how to stay safe

New AT&T data leak links previously exposed info to Social Security numbers, birth dates

Latest in Online Security

FBI warns scammers are posing as fraud investigators to steal sensitive healthcare info — what you need to know

Xfinity just added Wi-Fi-powered motion tracking to its routers — here’s why it could be a privacy nightmare

61 million Verizon records reportedly for sale — including date of birth, tax ID and phone numbers

Popular TikTok video editor used in phishing scam – here’s how to stay safe

Major security flaw exposes Sony, JBL and Bose headphones to hijacking threat — how to stay safe

These 5 macOS settings are a security risk and you should turn them off now

Latest in News

Google makes it easier to let family members use smart home devices

FBI warns scammers are posing as fraud investigators to steal sensitive healthcare info — what you need to know

Spotify just gave Discovery a big upgrade — here’s what’s new for you

I test smart air conditioners for a living — here’s my top 3 picks to make it through a heat wave

New survey reveals exactly how much live TV streaming saves you vs cable

How to watch Gauff vs Yastremska on BBC iPlayer (it’s free) right now