Johns Hopkins Health System confirmed on Monday that it is currently reaching out to patients affected by a cyber breach that took place at the end of May.
The hacking incident involved the widespread file transfer software, MOVEit, which enabled the unauthorized access and downloading of documents from a server, as confirmed by Johns Hopkins.
The extent and type of information stolen varied among the impacted patients, potentially involving details such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, social security numbers, among other personal information. However, it's worth noting that not all patients in the system were affected.
On June 24, Johns Hopkins began dispatching letters to the patients who fell victim to the information breach.
These letters include guidelines on how affected individuals can safeguard and keep tabs on their personal information.
Moreover, for those affected, Johns Hopkins is offering two years of free credit monitoring and resolution services, along with detailed instructions on how to enroll. A dedicated call center has been set up to address any queries from patients, operational from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The contact number for the call center is 888-703-9247.
Recently, a class action lawsuit was initiated against Johns Hopkins by a patient. The patient charged the health system with not adequately protecting and securing patients' personal and medical data.
Johns Hopkins is recommending patients to keep a close eye on their accounts for any suspicious activity. If any anomaly is detected, it should be reported to law enforcement or a consumer protection agency immediately.