16,000 people could be affected by cybersecurity attack at UnityPoint Health

Social Security numbers, financial info at risk

Site staff by Site Contributor

About 16,000 people could be affected by a cybersecurity attack at UnityPoint Health, according to company officials.

In a letter sent Monday to patients who may have been affected, officials said they discovered that UnityPoint Health’s email system was the victim of a phishing attack that compromised some employee email accounts. The security breach was discovered Saturday.

Impacted individuals could have had information breaches that include Social Security numbers or other financial information. The impacted email accounts may have been accessed between Nov. 1 and Feb. 7.

JUST IN: @UnityPointNews says 16,000 individuals affected after email system victim of a phishing attack. #news3 pic.twitter.com/hqtFJlyeRI

— Jessica Arp (@news3jessica) April 19, 2018

Officials said dates of birth, medical record numbers, treatment information, surgical information, diagnoses, lab results, medications, providers, dates of service and insurance information were also at risk.

So far, there are no reports of identity fraud, theft or improper use of information as a direct result of this incident, according to the letter.

“UnityPoint Health is committed to protecting your information and has taken steps to help prevent a similar event from taking place in the future,” officials said in the letter. “We are continually evaluating and modifying our security practices to further strengthen the protections for your personal and health information.”

Following the breach, officials said UnityPoint Health took action to secure the impacted email accounts, changed passwords and engaged with cybersecurity professionals to analyze what information might have been targeted.

To learn whether your information was impacted by this incident or if you have any questions regarding the security breach, call the confidential toll-free response line at 855-331-3612. The response line is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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