Health Insurer Anthem Struck By Massive Data Breach

Today, Anthem Inc., the second largest health insurer in America revealed that hackers broke into the company's servers and stole social security numbers and other personal information.   This is a massive data breach with the potential to expose the information of nearly 80 million Anthem customers and has the potential to be the largest health care related data breach in history.  The company notes that accounts associated with Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup , Caremore, Unicare, Healthlink, and DeCare were all part of the data breach.

In an email the company said:

Anthem Blue Cross was the target of a very sophisticated external cyber attack. These attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and have obtained personal information from our current and former members such as their names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data. Based on what we know now, there is no evidence that credit card or medical information (such as claims, test results or diagnostic codes) were targeted or compromised.

After discovering the data breach the company contacted law enforcement, and has stated that they are working with the FBI and cooperating in their investigation.  Anthem also stated that they have retained cybersecurity firm Mandiant to evaluate their systems.

Anthem's President and CEO Joseph R. Swedish revealed that his own personal information was accessed during the data breach, as was the information of other Anthem employees.  The company has not indicated that any medical information was revealed in the breach.

The company says it will provide credit monitoring and identity protection services free of charge to those who have been affected, individually affected customers have not yet been notified, likely because Anthem has yet to narrow down the scope of the breach.  Accordingly, Anthem says it is conducting an extensive IT Forensic Investigation to determine which customers were impacted and says it will notify all Anthem members who are impacted through a written communication.

The data breach was discovered last week, but was only revealed today after trading closed; earlier in the day Anthem Inc. stock closed up at 137.65.

Worried about your security?  Check out this post: 6 Ways To Protect Yourself After The Anthem Data Breach.