Cyberattack targets Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Early Thursday (Feb. 5) morning, Purdue was notified of an external cyberattack at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Purdue’s medical plan administrator. Anthem immediately began emailing notification of the security breach to members who had previously registered their email address with Anthem, and will mail letters to affected members in the coming weeks. 

According to information provided by Anthem, it is believed the attackers gained unauthorized access to Anthem’s IT system and have obtained personal information from current and former members. Information such as names, birthdays, Social Security numbers / medical IDs, street addresses, employment information, email addresses and income data was accessed. There is no evidence that credit card or medical information (such as test results, diagnostic codes or claims) were targeted or compromised.

Purdue is required to provide employee and dependent Social Security numbers and dates of birth to Anthem. Purdue does not provide any credit card or Health Savings Account (HSA) information to Anthem. It is not yet clear whether Purdue employee data was among the data that was compromised. 

At this time, the University has no additional information beyond what was communicated to members by Anthem. However, Human Resources is working closely with Anthem to keep informed as information develops.

A dedicated website, www.anthemfacts.com, was created by Anthem as an avenue for members to access information about the breach. Anthem will continually update the website with new information as it is received. A toll-free number (877-263-7995) also has been established for both current and former Anthem members to call if they have questions related to this incident.

The University will provide additional information on the incident as it is made available.