In one of the more damaging hacks made in 2015, healthcare-provider Anthem was breached by hackers and its data accessed. The breach may have provided the hackers with up to 80 million sensitive customer records, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and much, much more.
Like many other major data breaches, this one could also have easily been prevented. Surprisingly, the second-largest healthcare provider in America did not see a need for data encryption. They carelessly left all of their sensitive information about millions of Americans in easy access to hackers. This is a major cause for concern; the sensitive information stolen could lead any number of fraudulent activities, including identity theft, credit fraud, and more.
What can you do to protect yourself? Here are some thoughts from ZDNet’s Violet Blue.
Put a Credit Freeze into Effect Immediately.
One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to place a freeze on your credit. This freeze prevents criminals from accessing your credit information. If someone tries to access your credit without your permission, they get blocked, and you’ll be notified of the occurrence.
This is not the same as a fraud alert, which you should also put in place. A fraud alert lets credit reporting companies know that you suspect credit fraud. They can then take steps to keep you safe from any trouble.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
An even stronger step to take is the use of two-factor authentication. This is when you set up extra precautions that require more than one type of verification to access your account. This can be established through a number of different methods, like connecting your smartphone to your email account. It is a good idea to look into enabling two-factor authentication for your banking account and credit cards. This puts one more roadblock in the path of hackers trying to steal your identity.
Change Passwords and Login Credentials for Anything Associated with Anthem
Like most health insurance agencies, Anthem has your email address on file. Therefore, it’s logical to assume that this email address will become a target for hackers. You should quickly implement measures to protect yourself from hacking related threats. Take the opportunity to change all passwords and usernames associated with your account, making them as secure as possible. Use several different numbers, letters, and special characters for maximum security. Using a password manager can make this process much easier.
Set Alerts for Your Credit Cards
Credit card information was not part of the data stolen during the heist, but one can never be too careful, regarding the hack. Notify your various credit card and bank accounts of the breach, and they will monitor them for suspicious charges. The options might vary from account to account, but the fact remains that you need to inform them. Charges made outside of your country, or those for exorbitant amounts, are certain giveaways that you’re the target of fraud.
These are just some of the ways to protect your assets from potential credit fraud caused by the Anthem hack. Always stay vigilant and take preventative action to keep hackers away. The proliferation of hacking in general is something that should concern your business.
If you want to keep the latest threats out of your system, Quikteks can equip your business’s network with a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. You don’t want to be left vulnerable in the face of threats, especially if you deal with sensitive information. Give us a call at 973-882-4644 for more information on how to secure your network and keep your business compliant.