Forty million U.S. customers of Anthem Inc are on high alert of possible identity theft after the health insurer reported a massive cyber security breath. The company said the “very sophisticated attack” involved one of its IT systems and hackers stole former and current customers’ birthdays, social security numbers and contact and employment information including income data.
Anthem Cyber Security Breach
Anthem is the second largest health insurer in the country and has immediately taken steps to close the security vulnerability and report the attack to the FBI. However, this latest cyber attack of the healthcare industry highlights the vulnerability all companies and businesses have that deal with personal health information. Security experts say cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the healthcare industry due to the fact many companies use outdated computer systems and don’t see the need to invest in updated security features and professionals to maintain them.
Anthem is now in the process of alerting customers who’s information was stolen due to the cyber-attack. They’ve also set up a website to provide information and plan to offer a credit-monitoring service.
Data Security for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare systems, doctor’s offices and insurers throughout the Midwest trust DataShield Corp. to keep them in compliance with the rules and regulations surrounding PHI and HIPAA through document shredding and proper data destruction. Contact us today for a free audit of what you need to keep your customer and patients’ personal information secure.
