Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Blogs
    • AI
    • Deals
    • Layoff Tracker
    • HIMSS 2023
  • Opinion
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - AI and Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
  • Data & Insights
    • Data & Insights Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Technology
January 05, 2017 11:00 PM

Hackers in Anthem's 2014 attack worked for a foreign government

Shelby Livingston
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    cybersecurity

    The hackers behind national insurer Anthem's massive 2014 cybersecurity breach that exposed 78.8 million patient records were likely working on behalf of a foreign government, an investigation by several state insurance commissioners concluded.

    The California Department of Insurance, which launched the investigation into Anthem's cyberattack along with six other state insurance departments, also said that Anthem agreed to invest $260 million in improving its information security systems.

    A report released Friday detailing the investigation's findings did not identify the hackers or the foreign government for which they worked. A spokeswoman for the California Insurance Department said federal officials requested the department not provide any information regarding what government was behind the breach because of an ongoing federal probe.

    Other cybersecurity firms have previously said that they were able to peg the breach to China because the malware was so unique .

    “In this case, our examination team concluded with a significant degree of confidence that the cyberattacker was acting on behalf of a foreign government,” California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement announcing the findings. “Insurers and regulators alone cannot stop foreign government-assisted cyberattacks."

    The United States government needs to take steps to prevent and hold foreign governments and other foreign actors accountable for cyberattacks on insurers, much as the president did in response to Russian government-sponsored cyberhacking in our recent presidential election, Jones added, referring to Friday's intelligence report which found that the Russian government developed a "clear preference for President-elect Donald Trump" and aimed to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency.

    The Anthem report stated that Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm hired to investigate the breach, found that “attacks associated with this foreign government have not resulted in (personally identifiable information) being transferred to non-state actors.”

    Crowdstrike and Alvarez & Marsal Insurance and Risk Advisory Services, which also investigated the breach, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Anthem, the nation's second-largest insurer, announced the cyberattack in February 2015. Hackers infiltrated Anthem's information technology system a year earlier, gaining access to members' names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, home addresses and other personal information. The hackers gained access to Anthem's data warehouse and other Anthem computer systems when a user at one of Anthem's subsidiaries opened a phishing email containing malware, according to the California Insurance Department's report.

    The breach landed Anthem in hot water and accentuated the importance of proactive cybersecurity strategies in all industries. Anthem members have filed a class action lawsuit alleging their identities have been stolen, leading to lower credit scores and fraudulent financial activity.

    An Anthem spokeswoman said the insurer is working with the FBI and has found no evidence that the hackers shared or sold members' data, or evidence that fraud has occurred against individuals as a result of the breach.

    “Anthem takes the security of its information and the personal information of consumers very seriously and is committed to protecting the data of its customers,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

    The insurer will also provide credit protection to consumers whose information was compromised, officials said.

    Costs related to the cyberbreach could amount to millions of dollars, but no estimates or hard figures have been released. The Anthem spokeswoman said that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which reached an agreement with Anthem in December over the cyberattack, determined that no fine or penalty is warranted. The California Department of Insurance's announcement summarizes the National Association' recent findings.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    doctor_patient_tablet_getty_i_i.jpg
    How AI may influence pain medication prescriptions
    Amir Dan Rubin
    Amazon's One Medical CEO to step down later this year
    Most Popular
    1
    CMS tries luring providers to revamped Medicare ACOs
    2
    Oregon joins other states in setting ratios for nurse staffing
    3
    Blue Shield CA taps Amazon, Mark Cuban, CVS for new PBM model
    4
    A health innovation hub grows in Lake Nona Medical City
    5
    Hospital-at-home providers push for Medicaid coverage
    Sponsored Content
    Digital Health Intelligence Newsletter: Sign up to receive a twice-weekly (T, F) morning newsletter featuring the latest reporting on technologies, trends, players and money fueling the rapid changes in how healthcare is developed, paid for and delivered.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
      • AI
      • Deals
      • Layoff Tracker
      • HIMSS 2023
    • Opinion
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - AI and Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
    • Data & Insights
      • Data & Insights Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing