Wake Family Eye Care

Wake Family Eye Care, an optometrist practice based in Cary, North Carolina, experienced a ransomware attack on June 2, 2023, which led to a data breach. The attack resulted in the encryption of some of the company’s computer systems. In response, Wake Family Eye Care secured the affected accounts, shut down its servers and workstations, and initiated an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists[1][5].

The investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party had accessed certain files on Wake Family Eye Care’s system that contained confidential patient information. The types of information that may have been compromised include names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, other government-issued ID numbers, insurance numbers, optical images, chart numbers, and related eye records[1][5].

Wake Family Eye Care filed a notice of the data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and began sending out data breach notification letters to the affected individuals on July 14, 2023. The breach is believed to have impacted as many as 14,264 individuals[5].

The practice has offered 18 months of identity monitoring services through Kroll at no cost to those affected. They have also taken steps to review and enhance their security policies, procedures, and controls following the incident[9].

Wake Family Eye Care provides a range of services to patients, including routine eye exams, emergency eye care, and treatments for common eye-related issues. The practice employs more than 25 people and generates approximately $5 million in annual revenue[1].

Citations:

1. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/wake-family-eye-care-experiences-7029952/
2. https://www.wcpss.net
3. https://www.turkestrauss.com/2023/07/20/wake-family-eye-care-data-breach-investigation/
4. https://abc11.com
5. https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/wake-family-eye-care-data-breach-investigation/
6. https://www.ncdhhs.gov
7. https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/security-breaches/documents/wake-family-eye-care-20230717.pdf
8. https://www.bluecrossnc.com/members/find-care
9. https://www.mass.gov/doc/assigned-data-breach-number-30004-wake-family-eye-care/download
10. https://atriumhealth.org
11. https://www.hipaa.info/cyberattacks-reported-by-rite-aid-wake-family-eye-care-lancaster-orthopedic-group-and-maximus-inc/
12. https://www.worldvision.org
13. https://www.hipaajournal.com/24400-rite-aid-customers-had-personal-informatiion-compromised-in-may-cyberattack/
14. https://www.shpnc.org
15. https://yelp.com/biz/wake-family-eye-care-cary
16. https://anchordisposal.com