Physician Practice

Cyber attack on Anthem compromises PHI of 80 million

Physician Practice Insider, February 24, 2015

Hackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s information technology system and exposed the PHI of more than 80 million people who are currently or were previously covered by the insurance provider, according to The National Law Review.


Anthem set up a website that includes a letter from President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph R. Swedish and frequently asked questions about the breach. The letter states that the following current and former member information may have been compromised:

  • Names
  • Dates of birth
  • Medical identification numbers
  • Social Security numbers
  • Addresses
  • Email addresses
  • Employment information
  • Some income data

The attack also exposed the protected health information (PHI) of Anthem’s employees, including Swedish.

Upon discovering the attack, Anthem worked to close the security vulnerability and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The insurer began working with cybersecurity firm Mandiant to perform an evaluation of its systems. Anthem will contact affected members and offer credit monitoring and identity protection, according to Swedish’s letter.

This article originally appeared on the HIPAA Update blog.
 

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