The city of Philadelphia is investigating a data breachafter cybercriminals “may have gained access” to city email accounts that contained personal and health information.
The incident was discovered on May 24 after suspicious activity was detected in the city's email environment. According to the investigation, the attackers may have had access to emails in the compromised accounts for at least two months after the city was notified of the issue.
“ However, to date, the investigation has shown that between May 26, 2023, and July 28, 2023, an unauthorized attacker may have had access to certain accounts email and certain information contained therein city ,” the breach notification states
“Also, on August 22, 2023, we were informed that the email accounts may contain protected health information.”.
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The investigation and manual review of affected email accounts is still ongoing.
According to the city, the information that has been exposed includes:
- demographic information, such as name, address, date of birth,
- social security number and other contact information ;
- medical information, such as diagnosis and other information related to treatment;
- and limited financial information
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a comprehensive and manual review of potentially affected emailto determine if personal information or protected health information,” the statement said.
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“If so, the City of Philadelphia will work to confirm identities and contact information for individuals who may be affected and will provide notification via written letter“.
City officials urged people who may have been affected to remain vigilant as fraud attempts may be made against them.
They recommended that they closely monitor credit reports and account and promptly notify their insurance company, healthcare provider, or bank of any suspicious activity.
Philadelphia officials have not yet provided details about how the attackers breached the email , nor has it been revealed why there was such a delay in disclosing the incident.
Data breaches
A data breach is a security in which unauthorized individuals gain access to confidential information. This can range from personal data, such as names and social security numbers, to corporate data such as customer lists, manufacturing processes, or trade secrets.
The consequences can be severe, leading to financial losses, reputational damage and potential legal repercussions. It highlights the importance of cybersecurity, such as firewalls, encryption and regular software updates, to protect sensitive information.
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Unfortunately, every day we hear about new data breaches affecting large companies and organizations.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
