Anthem Security Breach: Protecting Your Personal Information

Statement

Dear Friends,

One of Connecticut's largest health insurers, Anthem, announced Wednesday that the company's computer systems were hacked in a major data breach that could affect as many as 80 million people nationwide. Anthem immediately contacted the FBI to launch an ongoing investigation. I share your frustration and concern with this terrible violation of privacy, which could impact Anthem's 1.2 million customers in Connecticut.

Anthem President and CEO Joseph R. Swedish issued a statement saying the attackers gained access to Anthem's computer system and got information including names, birthdays, medical IDs, Social Security numbers, street addresses, e-mail addresses and employment information, including income data.

"Based on what we know now, there is no evidence that credit card or medical information, such as claims, test results or diagnostic codes were targeted or compromised," Swedish said. Click here to read his full statement.

I strongly encourage policyholders to take advantage of free credit monitoring that Anthem is making available. The company has created a website with basic information about the breach: http://www.anthemfacts.com/. Anthem customers can also call the company's hotline at 1-877-263-7995.

Connecticut residents can contact the Connecticut Insurance Department's Consumer Affairs Unit by emailing cid.ca@ct.gov, or by calling 860-297-3900.

If you see any suspicious activity on your credit report or other financial accounts, please contact law enforcement immediately. The information can also be reported to the Connecticut Attorney General's Privacy Task Force by calling 860-808-5318, or emailing attorney.general@ct.gov.

You can immediately place a 90 day "fraud alert" on your credit reports by calling one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; Experian: 1-888-397-3742; TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289.

For additional information about protecting your privacy and avoiding online theft, please visit the Consumer Protection Resources page of my website for more information.

The Anthem security breach is the latest in a series of network attacks against businesses like Target and Home Depot that have affected millions of consumers and employees nationwide. These attacks underscore the need for Congress to strengthen America's capacity to confront cyber threats. As the Ranking Member of the new subcommittee tasked with overseeing America's cybersecurity, I will do everything I can to prevent these threats to our citizens' most private information and our economy.

If you have any questions regarding this or any other issue, you are welcome to contact my office by calling (202) 225-5541 or by clicking here.

Sincerely,

Jim

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