Cybersecurity firm ThreatConnect has reported information connecting the Chinese government with the Anthem cyberattack that compromised the records of nearly 80 million customers.
The report found malicious software used to breach Anthem's networks that matched malware used in a previous hack attempt on a small U.S. defense contractor that was linked to China, according to a Washington Post report.
"The malware is so unique — the digital signature is so precise — in these two incidents that we strongly feel the same Chinese actors were involved," Rich Barger, chief intelligence officer of ThreatConnect, told the Washington Post.
The FBI has also indicated belief that the cyberattack originated in China. "We're very close already but we're not going to say it until we're absolutely sure," said Robert Anderson Jr., executive assistant director of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, at a reporter's roundtable, according to the Washington Post.
In early February, Anthem reported hackers infiltrated its database and gained access to personal information of approximately 80 million former and current customers and employees.
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