(Newswire.net — February 5, 2015) Portland, OR — Anthem is the second largest provider of health care insurance and has millions (nearly 80 million to be exact) of personal data records, including credit card information. Formerly known as WellPoint, Anthem has customers in fourteen states.
Anthem has released that no credit card information was stolen. However what was stolen may be just as damaging if not more so. Things like names, birthdays, medical IDs, Social Security numbers, street addresses, e-mail addresses and employment information, including income data.
Ouch!
Since personal health information was actually stolen the requirements under HIPAA were violated.
And if you think you are safe because you no longer are an Anthem customer, the data theft included all former customers.
Anthem president and CEO Joseph Swedish stated that no one was safe. “Anthem’s own associates’ personal information — including my own — was accessed during this security breach. We join in your concern and frustration and I assure you that we are working around the clock to do everything we can to further secure your data.”
Anthem discovered the breach itself last week.
Last week! Guess they were trying to how best to spin this. More important than you protecting yourself apparently.
The FBI has been contacted and spokesman Joshua Campbell stated “The FBI s aware of the Anthem intrusion and is investigating the matter.”
Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, a ranking member of the Homeland Security committee commiserated with everyone. “The Anthem insurance company breach is another in a long line of breaches that continue to have a deep and disheartening effect on consumer behavior and the smooth flow of commerce both here at home and worldwide.”
If you feel that your information may have been compromised, please contact the FBI’s Internet Crime department at www.ic3.gov.