Anthem, the second-largest health insurance company in America, said late Wednesday that a database containing personal information of approximately 80 million of its customers and employees had been hacked.
The cyber breach, which occurred last week, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The paper reported that investigators were still investigating the extent of the incursion, though Anthem said it was likely that “tens of millions” of records were stolen. Anthem also said the breach exposed names, addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers, email addresses and employment details — including income.
However, the insurer did say that credit card information was not compromised and added that it has found no evidence that that medical information such as insurance claims and test results was targeted or obtained.
The attack is the latest in series of hacks targeting high-profile corporations. Previous victims have included retailers like Target and Home Depot, banks like J.P. Morgan & Chase and entertainment conglomerate Sony Pictures.
Anthem said it had detected the breach itself and would notify affected customers via letter and e-mail. The insurer said it would also set up a information website and offer a credit-monitoring service.
The early public disclosure is a departure from the tactics of previous victims like Target, which was heavily criticized for not reporting breaches soon enough.
“This attack is another reminder of the persistent threats we face, and the need for Congress to take aggressive action to remove legal barriers for sharing cyber threat information,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement late Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Health insurer Anthem says database of customer, employee info hacked
