New York regulator fines eight auto insurance companies for data security breaches under financial services rules

The New York Department of Financial Services has announced an investigation and $19 million in total penalties for eight auto insurance companies over violations of the state’s cybersecurity regulations in response to data breaches.

“Inadequate cybersecurity controls allowed hackers to steal New Yorkers’ personal information, including driver’s license numbers and dates of birth, from online automobile insurance quoting applications. The Department’s investigations into these data breaches remain ongoing,” according to a Oct. 14 release from NYDFS.

The state’s cyber...