What are the customer information was exposed Anthem
the investigation by the anthem, the FBI and cybersecurity company Mandiant has determined that customer information - both past and present - and the employees were exposed during this attack the compromised information includes names, dates. of birth, medical identification numbers, social security numbers, addresses, email addresses and employment information (including income). At this time, there is no reason to believe that the hymn to credit card or medical information, such as claims or test results have been targeted or stolen. However, the volume of information that was available is amazing.
According to the company website, this hack anthem extends across all of its businesses - including Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, CareMore, Unicare, HealthLink and DeCare.
What is the answer to this hack Anthem?
According to the letter from the Swedish, as soon as the attack was discovered, the company began working internally to close the breach and contacted the FBI to investigate what happened and how. Anthem also retained Mandiant, a private cybersecurity company, to help evaluate and improve its current systems. Customers were informed immediately by email, and Anthem also set up a website - www.anthemfacts.com - that people can visit to get updated information on the investigation. Once it has determined that customers were exposed, Anthem is sending letters by post with more information. - Including how they can sign up for free credit monitoring report and identity protection service against theft
page "Frequently Asked Questions" on the anthem hack website
for now, the anthem did not say which service will offer credit report monitoring and identity protection against theft by. In addition to the website, Anthem has set up a toll free number you can call for more information. When this number is called, guests can hear a recording with information about the attack and the opportunity to speak with Anthem representative if they have questions.
I am an Anthem customer; What can I do to protect myself?
Although the company's response was swift and proactive, the sad reality is that if you are a customer Anthem your information is potentially already in the hands of criminals. Here are some steps you can take to protect your identity in the coming weeks:
1. Sign up for identity theft protection on your own. While it is good that the anthem will offer affected customers a free credit report monitoring and identity theft protection, often, the plans offered after the violations data to measure. Because a lot of information was exposed in the attack, you will want an identity theft protection service all inclusive offering regular credit reports, monitoring the Internet black market and help to identity theft. Our top-rated service Identity Guard offers it all for a reasonable monthly price of $ 14.99. Like many insurance plans cover the whole family, many parents are scrambling to protect the identity of their children and their own. TrustedID provides cost-effective family plan that covers all family members living at the same address for only $ 18 / month with an annual plan.
Both services offer a free trial - 30 days for Identity Guard and 14 days for TrustedID - so if you're not sure you'll want or need, you can now register and cancel later . Depending on how quickly Anthem rolls its free service, you can even sign up for both and compare. Cancellation within the trial period will ensure that you do not pay anything, while keeping your identity protected.
2. Beware of strange phone calls, letters and emails. Although the phone numbers were not included in the exposed data, it is good to cover all your bases. Be on the lookout for calls, letters and emails that claim to be the anthem that ask you to provide your personal information to prove your identity. Anthem has sent emails to customers and said he will send those concerned a letter in the mail. It is unlikely that any legitimate correspondence Anthem ask you to disclose sensitive information or to give them money. If you receive an email asking you to click on a link or connect to your Medicare account, do not click on the link. Instead, visit the Web site in a browser window and log in this way to see all alerts that have been sent to your account. Similarly, consider all phone calls with suspicion -. It is best to know what the caller wants, hang up and call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card to determine if the call is legitimate
3. Shred your junk mail and documents before discarding them. Whenever your home address is exposed, you are at risk. Identity thieves are not above digging through your trash to find credit card offers discarded or other old messages and documents they can use to exploit your identity for their own gain . Tearing old mail you will simply not cut it. - The best option is to invest in a cross-cut shredder, which will completely destroy documents so they can not be restored back together
4. Protect your medical identity. We all know the dangers of having our credit cards and banking information stolen, but do you know the dangers of medical identity theft? Because medical identification numbers and Social Security numbers were exposed in the attack, you should be on the lookout for suspicious medical bills for procedures or treatments that you have not received. It is also a good idea to read all and any statements you receive from your insurance provider, especially given in this case it is your insurance provider which has been hacked.
5. Be alert to the tax identity theft. This violation could not have come at a worse time of year for people concerned about the tax identity theft. Not only the personal information taken, but the information on income was also exposed, leaving customers vulnerable Anthem employees to have false tax returns filed on their behalf. One of the best ways to protect yourself from becoming a tax identity fraud victim is to file your taxes immediately - if you have not already - and consider opting for electronic filing of sending paper forms because electronic files are processed much faster.
Whenever a company as big as the anthem is violated, the impact is felt long after. For more information on how to protect your identity and continue to follow this story, visit our blog protect against identity theft.