Anthem, Major Health Insurer, Suffers Hack Attack
Anthem Inc, United States second largest health insurer company has been hacked. It said on Wednesday that hackers had managed to broke into its servers and have stolen personal information of 80 millions of its customers and employees.
Anthem Inc., CEO and President Joseph R. Swedish said in a statement that attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and have obtained personal information from their current and former customers and employees such as their names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data.
However there is no evidence that credit card or medical, information, such as claims, test results or diagnostic codes were targeted or compromised, he added.
Swedish further apologized for what had happened adding that even his personal details were accessed by the hacker.
Anthem is currently working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies and has taken proper steps to close the security vulnerability which allowed the hackers to hack into Anthem’s IT system.
Anthem has also created a dedicated website to help its customers and employees to gain access about the information on breach. a toll free number 877-263-7995 can also be used for further information or assistance.
Anthem has said that they are now individually notifying the affected customers and employees whose information has been accessed. It also said that it will be providing free credit monitoring and identity protection services to those affected as is the industry standard.
Anthem Inc., previously known as WellPoint, Inc., is the largest for-profit managed health care company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The data breach at Anthem counts for one of the largest data breach in united states related to any health insurance company.
Readers may not that cyber criminals may be targeting Insurance companies for medical information data which commands a premium over payment cards in the underground markets. While stolen credit card data fetch around $5 to $15 on the dark net forums, medical information of an individual can fetch upwards of $20. Though Anthem hackers may not have got their hands on such medical information, prima facie it seems that the motive behind the hacking was medical information.
