South Walton Fire District
Your Personal Info Could Be
Exposed Online After
This Hospital Breach
Breach Description
The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) in Florida experienced a significant data security incident that was publicly disclosed on November 21, 2022. This incident involved a ransomware attack that temporarily allowed unauthorized access to SWFD’s computer network on May 30, 2022. Upon discovering the breach, SWFD promptly took measures to secure its digital environment and initiated an investigation with the assistance of independent cybersecurity experts. Federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities were also notified[1][3].
The investigation revealed that certain archived, protected patient information might have been compromised. The potentially affected data included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, treatment dates, medical diagnostic and treatment information, and health insurance information. This incident specifically impacted individuals who had been transported by or treated by SWFD between 2007 and 2019[1][3][7].
SWFD took several steps in response to the incident, including notifying potentially impacted individuals and offering them complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. The organization also established a toll-free call center to address concerns and answer questions related to the breach. Despite the breach, SWFD reported no evidence of misuse of the affected information. However, they proceeded with caution and took measures to enhance their digital security to prevent future incidents[1][3].
This incident is part of a larger trend of healthcare data breaches across the United States, highlighting the ongoing challenges and risks associated with securing sensitive health information against cyber threats[6].
Citations:
- https://www.swfd.org/notice-of-data-security-incident
- https://defuniakherald.com/news/tdc-votes-to-recommend-redesign-of-beach-access-signs-gets-updates/
- https://www.wjhg.com/2022/11/22/investigation-underway-after-south-walton-fire-district-computer-systems-hacked/
- https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/deadly-beach-weekend-leaves-5-dead-in-bay-and-walton-county/
- https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/swfd-warns-patients-about-cyber-attack-incident/
- https://healthitsecurity.com/news/latest-healthcare-data-breaches-impact-providers-across-the-country
- https://www.databreaches.net/fl-south-walton-fire-district-notifies-patients-of-breach/
- https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2021/02/18/walton-county-florida-approves-tough-sanctions-double-red-flag-violations/6780032002/
- https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/security-breaches/documents/south-walton-fire-district-20221121.pdf
- https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/nearly-10-of-floridians-had-health-records-hacked-in-2022-hhs-reports/
- https://ago.vermont.gov/sites/ago/files/2023-01/2022-11-21-South-Walton-Fire-District-Data-Breach-Notice-to-Consumers.pdf
- https://www.databreaches.net/whatsapp-data-leak-500-million-user-records-for-sale-is-it-really-a-leak/
- https://www.swfd.org
- https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2021/07/03/walton-county-florida-suspends-beach-bonfire-permits-july-4th/7839838002/
- https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/timeline-one-year-after-the-mussett-bayou-wildfire/