Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan may have been caught up in the data breach at Anthem
The cyber attack against health insurance provider Anthem continues to send ripples throughout the United States. In January of this year, Anthem was the victim of a major data breach, which compromised the personal information of more than a million of the company’s clients. In Michigan, the cyber attack against Anthem seems to have involved another health insurance company, as well. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has reported that there is a “strong possibility” that its consumer information may have been caught up in the data breach.
Affiliation makes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan a target for malicious group targeting Anthem
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is affiliated with Anthem, but the two companies are separate entities. The affiliation may have placed the former in the sights of the malicious group behind the cyber attack on Anthem. The two companies work with one another in order to offer health insurance coverage throughout the United States. This affiliated can be risky, at times, especially if one of the companies becomes the target of a cyber attack.
Personal information has been compromised in the cyber attack against Anthem
According to information released by Anthem, the data breach it suffered has compromised personal information, including the names, phone numbers, addresses, and Social Security numbers of many of its clients. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services are currently monitoring the incident to determine how consumers will be affected.
Approximately 636,000 Michigan residents have had their personal information compromised due to the cyber attack
According to Anthem, some 636,000 Michigan residents have been affected by the data breach. Approximately 420,000 of these people are Anthem customers, with the remainder being customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The attack on Anthem represents one of the most severe data breaches that the health insurance industry has experienced in recent history. Those affected by the attack are being urged to contact their state’s insurance regulators and Anthem itself.
