New York plans to conduct cybersecurity audits of insurers

In the aftermath of the Anthem data breach last week, the New York Financial Services Department said it plans to conduct cybersecurity audits of insurance companies. The "regular" and "targeted assessments" will be a part of its examination process, and enhanced regulations should keep New York insurance members safer from future data breaches.

The Anthem data breach could affect upwards of 80 million people, as personal information was taken during the sophisticated cyberattack.

"We're still in the process of finalizing and determining the enhanced requirements, but we are moving quickly and expect to begin putting them forward in the coming weeks," said Matt Anderson, spokesman of the New York Financial Services Department, in a statement published by Reuters. "These requirements are specific to New York, but we're of course always willing to discuss these issues with other states."

Cybersecurity has drawn significant interest on a federal level, but states are often left to create audits and oversight on their own.