Link Audiology LLC

Link Audiology LLC, based in Silverdale, Washington, experienced a data breach that was publicly disclosed on May 9, 2023. The breach involved unauthorized access to one of the company’s email accounts, which contained communications between Link Audiology and a third-party company responsible for handling billing to insurance and patients. The compromised account was detected on April 4, 2023, with the initial compromise occurring on March 20, 2023, and subsequent unauthorized access between March 29, 2023, and April 4, 2023. The breach exposed the protected health information of up to 7,200 current and former patients. The information at risk included personal and insurance checks, copies of insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOB), and potentially other sensitive patient information. The purpose of the attack appears to have been to divert payroll rather than to obtain patient information. Following the breach, Link Audiology took steps to secure their systems, including performing a password reset for all email accounts and enabling two-factor authentication. They also updated internal protocols to limit data exposure in future attacks. Notification letters were sent to all individuals in the company’s database as a precaution, and patients were advised to contact their banks to place fraud alerts on their accounts and one of the credit bureaus. The company has notified the relevant authorities, including the Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as required in such situations[1][2].

Link Audiology LLC is an independently owned and operated audiology service provider in Kitsap County, offering a wide range of services and devices to assist with hearing care. The clinic has been serving the community for over five years and works with most major insurance companies to cover hearing health needs[3][5].

Citations:

1. https://linkaudiology.com/data-breach/
2. https://www.hipaajournal.com/apria-healthcare-breach-affects-up-to-1-8-million-individuals/
3. https://linkaudiology.com
4. https://linkaudiology.com/news-information-and-events/
5. https://linkaudiology.com/about-us/
6. https://breachdata.topwords.me/states/WA?limit=20&offset=20&sort=data_source
7. https://breachdata.topwords.me/states/WA?limit=20&offset=40&sort=number_affected
8. https://www.healthyhearing.com/hearing-aids/26363-link-audiology-llc