Dear Clarkson Colleagues,
As you may be aware, Alera Group — Clarkson’s official benefits broker, and the administrator of our Benefitsolver technology portal — recently experienced a cybersecurity incident. Their network was compromised by an act of theft, resulting in unauthorized access to files containing personal information for employees of Clarkson and other organizations they serve.
To manage the investigation and send notifications to those affected, Alera engaged IDX, a trusted third-party service provider. Unfortunately, IDX encountered technical issues during the mailing process. Specifically, errors in data sorting and file formatting caused some employees and former employees to receive multiple or incorrectly addressed letters. As a result, some of the files accessed contained outdated information, which explains why letters may have been sent to:
· Former employees
· Retirees no longer enrolled in Clarkson’s insurance
· Current employees no longer enrolled in Clarkson’s insurance
· Deceased employees or retirees
While we understand IDX errors caused considerable confusion, we want to emphasize that these mailing issues did not represent a further breach of data. To help protect your information, Alera has arranged 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection through IDX. We encourage everyone to consider taking advantage of this service by enrolling using the QR code included in your notification letter or by calling IDX at 855-202-2008. Please note you only need to enroll once.
We sincerely apologize for any confusion or concern this situation may have caused. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact:
Alera Group 800-836-0026
If you have any additional questions, you can also contact our Benefits Manager at:
Traci Giffin
Benefits Manager
Email: tgiffin@clarkson.edu
Phone: 315-268-2222
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we have worked with our vendors to learn more about this matter and improve services in the future.
Sincerely,
HR People Services