On February 15, 2024, Virginia Farm Bureau (“VFB”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after the company’s IT system was targeted in a ransomware attack. In this notice, VFB explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, driver’s license numbers, state identification numbers, Social Security numbers, and financial account information. Upon completing its investigation, VFB began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Virginia Farm Bureau, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Virginia Farm Bureau data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Virginia Farm Bureau Data Breach?

The Virginia Farm Bureau data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, VFB’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on October 11, 2022, VFB was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) that CISA received a tip that certain VFB systems had been compromised.

In response, VFB secured its system and then launched an investigation to confirm CISA’s report. On October 16, 2022, some of VFB’s IT network was encrypted. VFB then took its systems offline and notified the FBI.

Through its investigation, VFB ultimately confirmed that an unauthorized party was able to access portions of its IT network between October 6, 2022 and October 16, 2022, and that the unauthorized party may have downloaded confidential consumer data.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Virginia Farm Bureau reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, driver’s license number, state identification number, Social Security number, and financial account information.

On February 15, 2024, Virginia Farm Bureau sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Virginia Farm Bureau

Founded in 1950, Virginia Farm Bureau is an insurance company based out of Richmond, Virginia. VFB provides a range of insurance products, including personal and commercial property and casualty insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, business owners insurance, liability insurance and long-term care insurance, as well as a variety of retirement plans and annuities. Virginia Farm Bureau employs more than 747 people and generates approximately $376 million in annual revenue.