Farmers Insurance Data Breach Affects 1.1m People
Key topics
As data breaches become the norm, commenters are numb to the news that Farmers Insurance has exposed the data of 1.1 million people following a Salesforce hack. The discussion quickly turns to the broader issue of companies prioritizing data collection over protection, with many lamenting that "data is the new oil" - apparently with minimal consequences for "spills". Some wryly note that companies like Farmers, with teams of actuaries, should be well-equipped to assess and mitigate such risks. The thread ultimately devolves into a resigned acceptance that personal data is likely already compromised, with one commenter advising others to freeze their credit as a precaution.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
21m
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0-2h
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1.5
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Aug 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM EDT
4 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Aug 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM EDT
21m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
2 comments in 0-2h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Aug 26, 2025 at 11:50 AM EDT
4 months ago
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Is there any company that actually protects the data that they mandate we give them?
not really, no. it was "within their risk appetite"
BP et al paid “the largest environmental damage settlement in United States history – $20.8 billion – on April 4, 2016” [1].
The damage from oil spills can be clearly quantified and directly attributed. We don’t have that evidence of harms from such breaches.
[1] https://www.noaa.gov/explainers/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-...