Wyoming County Community Health System
Your Personal Info Could Be
Exposed Online After
This Hospital Breach
Breach Description
The Wyoming County Community Health System (WCCHS) in Warsaw, New York, experienced a significant data breach that was officially reported on November 16, 2023. This incident was first identified following a network disruption on March 28, 2023, prompting an immediate investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists. The investigation revealed that certain files on the WCCHS network had been accessed and potentially acquired without authorization. This breach affected sensitive personal information of more than 24,000 individuals, including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification numbers, dates of birth, biometric data, medical information, health insurance information, and account numbers[1][3][5].
In response to the breach, WCCHS took several steps to address the situation and mitigate potential damages. They began by reviewing the compromised files to identify the specific information that was leaked and the individuals impacted. Subsequently, WCCHS sent out notification letters to all affected individuals on November 16, 2023, advising them of the breach and the information that was compromised. Additionally, WCCHS has implemented further measures to enhance their network security to prevent future incidents. They also notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the breach and established a toll-free call center to answer questions and address concerns related to the incident[3].
The potentially affected information includes a wide range of personal and sensitive data, which raises concerns about the risk of fraud and identity theft for those impacted. WCCHS has advised affected individuals on steps they can take to protect their information and has provided written notification of the incident to impacted individuals via US mail[3].
Wyoming County Community Health System is a public healthcare facility that includes a 62-bed acute-care hospital and a 138-bed Skilled Nursing Facility. It offers a variety of specialty healthcare services and employs more than 500 people, generating approximately $22 million in annual revenue[1].
This breach underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for protecting sensitive health information and the need for individuals to remain vigilant in monitoring their personal information for signs of unauthorized use.
Citations:
- https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/wyoming-county-community-health-system-6402970/
- https://www.health.ny.gov
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wyoming-county-community-health-system—notice-of-data-security-incident-301991255.html
- https://www.henryford.com
- https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/data-breach-investigation-wyoming-county-community-health-system/
- https://cookcountyhealth.org/join-our-team/
- https://seculore.com/state/new-york/11-20-2023-ny-wyoming-county-community-health-system/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org
- https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/10d35df9-ccc3-4ad5-bbc6-64ed0d64108f/005bee82-b6b5-40bd-8ffa-701c821e5efe/document.html
- https://www.jointcommission.org
- https://beyondmachines.net/event_details/wyoming-county-community-health-system-reports-data-breach-exposes-24k-people-i-o-y-v-8
- https://www.hcsc.com
- https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/aeviewer/ME/40/10d35df9-ccc3-4ad5-bbc6-64ed0d64108f.shtml
- https://alert.ny.gov
- https://www.hipaa.info/daviess-community-hospital-wyoming-county-community-health-system-southland-integrated-services-and-mission-community-hospital-affected-by-cyberattacks/
- https://parks.ny.gov/parks/letchworth