5 February 2015 Insurance

US health insurer hacked; millions of customers hit

Anthem, the second largest health insurer in the US, has been hit by a cyber attack which, according to reports, could affect millions of customers.

The hackers gained access to Anthem’s IT system and have obtained personal information from its current and former members such as their names, birthdays, medical IDs/social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data.

The insurer, which set up a website to advise customers about the breach and the action being taken, said: “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.”

Joseph Swedish, president and chief executive officer of Anthem, added that Anthem’s own associates’ personal information, including his own, was accessed during the security breach.

“Once the attack was discovered, Anthem immediately made every effort to close the security vulnerability, contacted the FBI and began fully cooperating with their investigation. Anthem has also retained Mandiant, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity firms, to evaluate our systems and identify solutions based on the evolving landscape,” said the company.

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