UTMC involved in Fortra data breach

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the discovery of a data breach involving cybersecurity company Fortra, which may have affected more than four million people worldwide. This attack specifically targeted medical data, including data at the University of Toledo Medical Center.

Other affected organizations include Hitachi Energy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Procter & Gamble, NationBenefits, and many more organizations across the United States and world.

The first known attacks began in late January of this year, and Fortra issued both a security alert and mitigation instructions on February 1. The company provided a patch to resolve the remote access vulnerability on February 7.

The University of Toledo is among the healthcare organizations impacted by the patient data privacy incident affecting Fortra. The company provides secure file transfer services for ITx, an agency that works with healthcare clients to collect patient open balances, including the University’s medical center and clinics. It is important to note the incident was isolated to the third-party company and did not affect UToledo’s information technology systems. ITx is taking the incident seriously and notifying individuals potentially impacted about the incident and offering free access to credit monitoring services.

The Russia-linked ransomware group Clop, which almost exclusively targets the healthcare sector, has claimed responsibility for the attack on GoAnyWhere MFT. According to the HHS alert announcing the breach, “Healthcare is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks owing to their high propensity to pay a ransom, the value of patient records, and often inadequate security.”

• Stay alert. Hang on to any unusual mail or emails, such as IRS tax notices, bills, or statements from unfamiliar lenders. Chances are that by the time you are notified of a breach, criminals may have had your information for quite some time.
• Secure your accounts. Starting with any accounts specified in the breach notification, update passwords and PINs that you use to log in to bank and credit card accounts.
• Initiate a fraud alert. This notifies any lender processing a credit application in your name that you may be the victim of fraud or identity theft.
• Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports. Set up any available alerts to notify you of activity on your accounts. Remain vigilant about unusual or unexpected activity so that you can detect scams and report them immediately.
• Freeze or lock your credit file. This is less convenient than simply creating a fraud alert, but it limits access to your credit report to specific credit bureaus.

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