Anthem medical data breach: what you need to know and do

The Anthem medical data breach is a wake-up call for anyone who's concerned about their sensitive information. In 2015, hackers stole the records of nearly 79 million people, making it one of the largest healthcare data breaches in US history.

This breach was a result of a phishing attack on Anthem's IT department, where hackers tricked an employee into revealing their login credentials. The hackers then used this information to access Anthem's system and steal sensitive data.

The stolen data included names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and other personal information. This type of data is like gold to hackers, as it can be used for identity theft and financial fraud.

If you're one of the 79 million people affected by this breach, it's essential to take action to protect yourself.

Recent health data hacking incidents have been on the rise, with over 50 percent of records breached in 2014 exposed due to hacking incidents. This trend was predicted by experts, who warned of the threat from malicious outsiders.

In 2014, Redspin's PHI Breach Report noted that hacking incidents were becoming more frequent. One such incident occurred at Advantage Dental, where over 151,000 patients had their personal information compromised, including names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

The breach occurred when an intruder accessed an internal database through a computer infected with malware. Similarly, Sacred Heart Health System in Florida reported that a third-party billing vendor's email credentials had been compromised, exposing personal information for approximately 14,000 patients.

Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin also experienced a breach, where malware was discovered on some of the company's workstations and servers, intercepting active sessions and capturing login information. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident.

In contrast to these incidents, Anthem's data breach was a significant one, with a $16 million settlement paid to the federal government as a penalty. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit was filed, offering credit monitoring and fraud resolution service for four years to affected customers.

The breach at Anthem was a major wake-up call for the healthcare industry, highlighting the need for better protection of sensitive information. In light of these incidents, it's essential for individuals to be vigilant and take steps to protect their personal information, such as monitoring credit reports and being cautious of suspicious emails.

Anthem's customer database was allegedly attacked by international hackers on December 10, 2014.

The breach was massive, with nearly 80 million people's personal information potentially compromised.

The stolen information includes names, birth dates, social security numbers, billing information, and highly confidential health information.

Anthem reported the breach on February 4, 2015, about a week after discovering it on January 27, 2015.

Organizations that hold personally identifiable information, including confidential personal health information, owe a duty to safeguard this information and protect it from being compromised, stolen, or misused.

The Anthem medical data breach had a significant impact on the lives of those affected. Over 79 million records were compromised, making it one of the largest data breaches in history.

Anthem took immediate action to address the breach, notifying affected individuals and offering them two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. This proactive approach helped mitigate the damage and showed a commitment to protecting its customers' sensitive information.

The breach was a wake-up call for the healthcare industry, highlighting the need for better security measures to safeguard sensitive patient data.

The Anthem data breach occurred during the weeks before February 4, 2015. This timeline is significant because it shows that the breach was discovered and responded to quickly by Anthem.

The breach was discovered and responded to rapidly, with Anthem encrypting and protecting the remaining data and formulating a response plan and further safeguards for the future. This swift action likely helped minimize the damage caused by the breach.

Unfortunately, if you're wondering whether your data was affected, Anthem doesn't have a website where you can check. The settlement website does offer some links and phone numbers, but be aware that the deadline to file a claim was July 19, 2018, and has already passed.

The victim tally of major breaches has tripled since September 2009, with the addition of Anthem's breach adding 120 million individuals to the federal tally. This brings the total number of individuals affected by major breaches to 1,162.

The Anthem breach is the biggest breach of any type listed on the federal tally, affecting 78.8 million individuals. It's also the largest of the 97 breaches listed as "hacking incidents."

In fact, if we include the Community Health Systems hacking incident, which was listed as involving "theft", the total number of individuals affected by hacks would be around 87.1 million.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers:

The trend of hacking incidents is on the rise, with over 50 percent of records breached in 2014 exposed due to hacking attacks. This was a predictable trend, according to Dan Berger, CEO of Redspin, who advised clients in early 2014 that hackers posed a significant threat to the healthcare industry.

If you believe you were affected by a data breach, you can sue for damages and losses incurred due to identity theft.

You can contact the correct department by mail at the address below: In re Anthem, Inc. Data Breach Litigation.

Another option is to use IDStrong to scour the internet and see if your information appears to be stolen or used in unfamiliar places.

You can also use IDStrong for credit monitoring to keep an eye on your financial information.

The Anthem data breach was a massive incident that affected millions of people, and it's no surprise that it led to a class-action lawsuit and settlement. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to the settlement on August 16, 2018.

As part of the settlement, Anthem agreed to pay $115 million into a settlement fund, which will be used to provide benefits to affected class members. Benefits include a minimum of two years of free credit monitoring, or a cash payment of $50 for those who already have credit monitoring.

The settlement also required Anthem to take significant additional cybersecurity measures to safeguard information going forward. This is a crucial step in preventing future data breaches.

If you were affected by the Anthem data breach, you may be eligible for benefits under the settlement. The deadline to submit a claim for credit monitoring services or the cash payment was July 19, 2018, and claims are now being processed.

Those who submitted timely and valid claim forms will receive their benefits by December 1, 2018. If you're one of them, you'll get to enjoy two years of free credit monitoring or a cash payment of $50.

However, if you've suffered out-of-pocket losses due to the data breach, you can still file a claim for compensation. The deadline to do so is August 16, 2019, so be sure to act quickly.

It's worth noting that the federal government also sued Anthem for allowing the breach to occur and for not adequately protecting citizens' information. As a result, Anthem paid out a $16 million settlement to the federal government.

If you weren't included in the class-action settlement, you may still have options for seeking damages and losses incurred due to identity theft. You can contact the correct department by mail at the address below, or use a service like IDStrong to perform an Anthem data breach check.

Protecting your identity and preventing data breaches is crucial, especially in the wake of the Anthem medical data breach. The best tool at your disposal is common sense - verify everything before you click a link or download anything you receive in email.

To protect yourself, always keep your computer antivirus software updated and run scans frequently, and change passwords to banking and credit card websites often, using only long complex passwords. Monitoring bank and credit card statements to look for any suspicious activity is also essential.

Here are some key steps to prevent data breaches:

By following these simple steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of identity theft and data breaches.

Protecting your personal information is a crucial step in maintaining your digital safety. It's essential to keep your antivirus software updated and run scans frequently to prevent identity theft and fraud.

Using strong passwords is also vital. Change your passwords to banking and credit card websites often and use only long, complex passwords to keep your accounts secure.

Be cautious of phishing or scam emails that may look legitimate but have a strange "from" address or links that take you to fake sites. Always verify the authenticity of emails before clicking on links or downloading attachments.

Never give out your personal information to anyone unless you know them well or initiated the action. Monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly to catch any suspicious activity.

Reviewing your credit report is also a good idea, and consider a credit freeze to protect against anyone using your identity to open new accounts.

Here are some specific steps to take:

Detecting hacker incidents in the healthcare sector is a significant challenge. It's likely that many more incidents have gone undetected by covered entities or their business associates.

Hackers are targeting healthcare because a health record on the black market is very valuable. This trend was predictable, as hackers are indeed good economists.

Most organizations in the medical space struggle to detect attacks, and many are already breached or have been for a long period of time. The medical industry needs to get proactive on security.

Improving detection comes down to good security practices, such as training users to look for weird behavior. A well-educated staff can make a big difference, regardless of the organization's size.

To prevent incursions, healthcare organizations must understand that IT security is a process, not a project. Regular cycles of penetration tests, vulnerability assessments, and security awareness training/testing are essential.

Defending against hackers requires organizations to get back to basics and harden and manage their enterprise. Two-factor authentication and encryption are essential steps, not just for data in motion, but also at rest and for user IDs and passwords.

Here are some key steps to improve detection and prevention: