Excelsior Orthopedics is notifying approximately 357,000 people that their personal and health information was leaked in a data breach resulting from a ransomware attack that came to light in June 2024.
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Operating multiple clinics in Amherst, New York, including Buffalo Surgery Center and Northtowns Orthopaedics, Excelsior Orthopaedics is a healthcare company specializing in orthopedic care.
In June 2024, Excelsior Orthopedics fell victim to a “data security incident” that was initially believed to have led to a breach of information of current and former employees.
After an initial wave of written letters to potentially affected individuals sent in early August, the company sent a second wave of letters on December 31 after learning that the scope of the data breach was broader and that patient information had also been compromised
See also: Casio: Data breach of 8,500 people
Potentially compromised data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, medical record numbers, diagnostic information, treatment details, health insurance information, and biometric information.
The company told the Maine AGO that about 357,000 were affected by the data breach and that it is providing them with twelve months of free credit monitoring and fraud assistance services.
Excelsior Orthopedics did not share information about the type of breach it fell victim to, but its initial notification letter revealed that it had disconnected external network access and that efforts to restore the environment were ongoing in late July, suggesting a ransomware attack.
Additionally, the Monti ransomware added Excelsior Orthopedics to its Tor-based leak site in early July, claiming to have stolen 300 gigabytes of data from the company. Monti has since made the allegedly stolen information.
See also: PowerSchool: Breach allowed theft of student and teacher data
A data breach is a security incident that results in the unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive, confidential, or protected information. These breaches can be caused by malicious cyberattacks ,security vulnerabilities, or even human error. The consequences of a data breach can be severe, including financial losses, reputational damage, and personal data breaches for individuals. Organizations must implement strong cybersecurity measures to prevent breaches, such as encryption, regular security updates, and employee training on data protection.
Source: securityweek
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