FL: Physicians Dialysis Provides Notification of Data Security Incident

The following is a press release from Physicians Dialysis. MIAMI BEACH, Fla., June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Physicians Dialysis has learned of a data security incident that involved personal information and protected health information belonging to certain current and former patients and employees. On March 21, 2021, Physicians Dialysis discovered unusual activity within its digital environment. Upon discovering this activity, Physicians Dialysis commenced an investigation and engaged independent cybersecurity experts for assistance. The cybersecurity experts engaged by Physicians Dialysis to investigate ultimately discovered evidence of unauthorized access to a Physicians Dialysis database. In coordination with its team of cybersecurity experts, Physicians Dialysis reviewed the contents of the affected database to determine if it contained protected health information. Physicians Dialysis subsequently learned that protected health information belonging to some current and former patients was contained in the affected database and potentially accessed. This information included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical information, and/or health insurance or claims information. Physicians Dialysis diligently worked to identify the affected individuals and verify their contact information, which was completed on June 22, 2021. Physicians Dialysis takes the security of all information very seriously. Physicians Dialysis has implemented additional security features to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. Physicians Dialysis has also reported this matter to the FBI and will cooperate as necessary to hold the perpetrator accountable. Notification letters were sent to potentially-affected individuals on June 25, 2021. The letters include information about this incident and about steps that potentially-affected individuals can take to monitor and help protect their personal information. Physician Dialysis has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. The call center can be reached at 1-833-903-3648, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Eastern Time. As a precaution, Physicians Dialysis is offering complimentary credit monitoring services through IDX to those individuals whose Social Security numbers were potentially impacted in connection with this incident. To determine if you qualify for this service, you must obtain verification through the call center. If your Social Security number has been impacted, enrollment information will be made available to you. The privacy and protection of private information is a top priority for Physicians Dialysis. Physicians Dialysis deeply regrets any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause. SOURCE Physicians Dialysis The preceding press release leaves some questions unanswered, apart from the obvious one of how many patients and employees have been notified.  Was this incident a  malware/ransomware incident that encrypted files or systems or impacted patient care? Was there any ransom demand?  Was any patient or employee data exfiltrated during the attack? DataBreaches.net has sent an inquiry to Physicians Dialysis and will update this post when a reply is received.DataBreaches.netRead More