Data Breach Reports by Prestige Care, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Coleman Professional Services

Ransomware Attack at Prestige Care

Senior care organization Prestige Care, Inc. located in Vancouver, WA recently informed 38,087 individuals about the potential access or theft of some of their personal data and protected health information (PHI) in a ransomware attack that occurred on September 2023. The attack was discovered on September 7, 2023, and the investigation confirmed the installation of malware that blocked access to selected files on its network. The investigation affirmed that the attacker got access to files that contained personal and medical data on September 7.

The file evaluation revealed on December 18, 2023, that those files contained names and Social Security numbers. The sending of notification letters to the affected individuals began on January 31, 2024. Free credit monitoring services were provided for a year.

2.6 Million Victims of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Ransomware Attack

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has reported that the data of 2,632,275 persons was exposed in an April 2023 ransomware attack, adding 81,353 to the previous total. In the recent notifications sent to the Attorneys General in Maine and California this February, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care mentioned that the attack was discovered on April 17, 2023. It took immediate action to restrict the threat and stop continuing unauthorized access to its network. Law enforcement and government bodies were informed, and third-party cybersecurity professionals assisted with the investigation and remediation work.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care stated the cybercriminal group responsible for the attack extracted data from its network from March 28, 2023 to April 17, 2023. The attackers accessed the systems containing the names, financial data, and Social Security numbers of members, accounts, brokers, and companies. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care began informing the impacted persons on May 23, 2023 and reported the breach to media companies located in 50 states. On June 15, personal notification letters were sent by mail to the impacted persons. As the investigation moved on it was confirmed that other people were impacted. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has provided free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to the impacted persons. It has enforced extra cybersecurity measures to stop the same breaches later on.

Coleman Professional Services Inc. Employee Email Accounts Breached

Behavioral health services provider Coleman Professional Services, Inc. based in Ohio reported an email account breach. On December 14, 2023, Coleman discovered that an unauthorized third party got access to some email accounts of its employees. The forensic investigation revealed that unauthorized access to the accounts occurred from September 18, 2023 to October 31, 2023.

The forensic investigation cannot confirm patient data access or theft, but the analysis of the impacted accounts confirmed that they held the PHI of 51,889 people. The types of data compromised differed from one person to another and might have included first and last names, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, financial data, and, in certain instances, medical data. Identity theft protection services were provided to the impacted persons. Coleman has additionally taken further steps to stop unauthorized people from viewing the email accounts of its employees.

Cyberattack and Data Breach at North Hill Communities

North Hill, which includes North Hill Home Health Care, Inc., North Hill Communities, Inc., North Hill Needham, Inc., the North Hill Employee Dental Plan, and Connected for Life, Inc., has reported the potential compromise of the personal data and PHI of about 4,798 individuals in a cyberattack on December 2023.

The attack was discovered on December 26, 2023, and the forensic investigation revealed that its system was exposed to an unauthorized third party on December 19, 2023. North Hill stated it cannot be established if personal data or PHI was viewed or stolen. However, it was confirmed that the breached sections of its system included sensitive information. The exposed information contained names along with at least one of these data: address, date of birth and death (if applicable), Social Security number, telephone number, driver’s license number, admission date, medical insurance data, medical record number, treatment dates, bank account/financial account number, medical data, and claims data.

North Hill began informing the impacted persons on February 14, 2023 and is paying for the price of Single Bureau Credit Monitoring/Single Bureau Credit. Extra security detection and monitoring options are being put in place to help stop the same incidents later on.

Email Account Breach at Advarra Inc.

Advarra Inc., an integrated research compliance solutions provider, submitted a breach report involving the personal data and PHI of 4,656 persons. On October 26, 2023, Advarra found suspicious activity in the email account of an employee. The investigation affirmed that one account was compromised on October 25, 2023. An unauthorized third party acquired company and personal data held in the account. That data contained names and Social Security numbers. Advarra did not know of any actual or attempted data misuse but has provided the impacted persons with free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services as a safety measure.

Northern Light Health Says Patient Data Not Compromised in Cyberattack

On February 4, 2024, Northern Light Health located in Brewer, ME, reported that its patient records system was taken offline beginning February 3, 2024, after finding out about the compromise of some computers in a cyberattack. Northern Light Health mentioned that none of the impacted computers saved any patient information, and that the patient record system remained offline during the incident investigation. Northern Light Health stated it did not receive any ransom demand from a third party and the patient records system was taken offline as a safety precaution. Downtime processes were started immediately, but patient care was still available.

Every day updates were posted on its website. Northern Light Health reported the restoration of its medical record system online on February 5, 2024. Nevertheless, the investigation of the incident is still ongoing. To date, there is no report of patient data exposure received.