Last week a breach of Anthem Inc. data affecting as many 80 million customers came to light. Experts say the intrusion is likely the work of state-sponsored foreign entities that are purposely stealing personal information from health-care companies.
Attorney General Kamala Harris is urging Californians, if necessary, to place a fraud alert, review credit reports and consider a security freeze in order to protect personal information. More tips and resources are available here.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Thursday his department is reviewing Anthem’s response to the cybersecurity breach.
According to the Department of Insurance, Anthem said it notified the FBI when the breach was discovered, sent notices to Anthem consumers and is offering free credit monitoring.
“The Anthem breach underscores the need for insurance companies to take every precaution to protect their customers’ information and make their consumers whole when a data breach occurs,” Jones said.
The attorneys general of Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arkansas and North Carolina also are investigating the breach, according to Reuters.
Consumers who believe they may have been impacted by the security breach should call Anthem’s toll-free number at (877) 263-7995 or find information to common questions on the company’s website.
This staff report was originally published by TechWire.
