Eastern Radiologists Data Breach Compromises Identities of 886k North Carolina Patients Featured
Non compliant network security at Eastern Radiologists enabled hackers to steel sensitive personal and medical information of more that 886k North Carolinian’s.
Greenville, NC-based Eastern Radiologists, Inc. has recently notified 886,746 individuals that some of their protected health and personal identifying information was exposed and potentially obtained by unauthorized individuals in a cyberattack that was detected on November 24, 2023.
What Happened?
A third-party cybersecurity firm was engaged to investigate the cause of suspicious network activity and confirmed that there was unauthorized access to its network between November 20, 2023, and November 24, 2023. During that time, documents on the system were accessed and copied, some of which contained patient information.
What Information Was Compromised In the Attack?
The investigation was completed on January 26, 2024, and confirmed that the exposed information includes:
- patients’ name
- contact information,
- Social Security number,
- insurance information,
- exam and/or procedure information,
- referring physician,
- diagnosis information and/or
- imaging results
What Can Identity Thieves Do With My Information?
Stolen personally identifiable information (PII) can be used to commit identity theft, open new credit accounts, make unauthorized purchases or obtain loans. Cybercriminals have recently targeted America’s healthcare industry and in so doing have forced millions of Americans to face the fallout from these attacks.
Leaked or stolen healthcare data can be sold on the dark web forums and may be used for fraud and medical identity theft, a type of fraud, where threat actors use stolen information to submit forged claims to insurers.
What is Eastern Radiologists Doing To Protect My Identity?
Eastern Radiologists said steps have been taken to improve security and better protect patient data and network monitoring capabilities have been enhanced.
Notification letters started to be mailed to the affected individuals on March 4, 2024. These letters should specify which information belonging to affected individuals was compromised.
The substitute breach notice on the Eastern Radiologists website makes no mention of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
Protect Your Identity. Join Eastern Radiologists data breach class action.
f you received a data breach notification from Eastern Radiologists, 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 data breach.
It is critical to begin to take the next steps after a data breach targets your personal data. You may contact a data privacy lawyer to learn about how to protect your accounts, and how to file a class action data breach lawsuit. By filing a claim, you can recover compensation and hold any negligent party accountable for their action or inaction. There is no cost to you.