Insurer That Runs Blue Cross Blue Shield Hacked
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The FBI is investigating the hacking of one of the nation's largest health insurers.
Anthem runs Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in more than a dozen states.
The company discovered last week that hackers accessed as many as 80 million customer records.
On its website, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota says its systems run independently, and it was not affected by the breach.
But the healthcare industry admits that its cyber security has fallen behind.
The Identity Theft Resource Center says 42 healthcare businesses were hacked last year, up from five in 2010.
"Organized crime and those who monetize identity theft are attacking hospitals and doctor's offices," Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CTO John Halamka said. "This is an issue that happens every day."
The FBI says criminals will pay 50 times more for medical records than for a stolen credit card.
Medical records have enough personal information to create a complete false identity.
