The database was initially found on March 25 by a Twitter user named "Flash Gordon" on an Amazon Web Services instance at an IP address that was found on Shodan, a search engine for open ports and databases.
An examination showed that the database was used to market products to thousands of customers by telemarketers at HealthNow -- no longer a registered business as of 2015. Several records we've seen included customized notes written by staff who were tasked with calling customers, such as when they are home and any other relevant information on the subject.
But that didn't stop many from turning over their health insurance information to the telemarketers, under the impression they would in return get medical supplies at a lower or discounted price.
"It was too much work, and it didn't pan out," he explained.
But Brown, who said he hadn't worked for Romano in over three years, wouldn't say why he had the data all this time, why he still had it, or why he didn't delete the data after he stopped working for HealthNow. He also couldn't say why the database was stored in an unencrypted format.
An analysis of the database by DataBreaches.net showed the majority of the records were associated with plan subscribers UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Cigna, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield, which said in a comment that it was now "aware of this scheme involving a suspicious telemarketing company that has no association with our organization, and we alerted law enforcement, including the FBI, to this issue."
An FTC spokesperson said that its orders "typically have monitoring and reporting requirements to help ensure that defendants under order do not engage in future illegal conduct and the FTC regularly monitors consumer complaints that can highlight particular areas of consumer concern."