Amgen Notifies Consumers of Data Breach Stemming from Coding Error

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On August 23, 2023, Amgen Inc. filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Montana after discovering that patient information was made available to an unauthorized party. In this notice, Amgen explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, mailing addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, medication information, and health insurance identification number. Upon completing its investigation, Amgen began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Amgen Inc., it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Amgen data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Amgen Data Breach?

The Amgen data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, Amgen’s filing with the Attorney General of Montana provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on June 30, 2023, Amgen learned that certain users of the Embark Application reported that their profile displayed incorrect information. In response, Amgen launched an investigation to learn more about the incident.

Ultimately, Amgen’s investigation confirmed that certain users of the Embark Application were able to view the information of other users. Amgen notes that this was due to a coding error and that the period of potentially unauthorized access/disclosure was between June 3, 2023 and July 31, 2023.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Amgen reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, mailing address, email address, date of birth, medication information, and health insurance identification number.

On August 23, 2023, Amgen sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Amgen Inc.

Amgen Inc. is a biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California. Amgen’s top-selling products are Enbrel, which is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, and Neulasta, which is used to prevent infections in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Amgen employs more than 26,700 people and generates approximately $28 billion in annual revenue.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.

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