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The HIPAA Journal is the leading provider of HIPAA training, news, regulatory updates, and independent compliance advice.

North Los Angeles County Regional Center Notifies Individuals About November 2024 Ransomware Attack

North Los Angeles County Regional Center has started mailing notification letters to individuals affected by a November 2024 ransomware attack, and Midland Care Connection in Kansas has announced a March 2026 hacking incident.

North Los Angeles County Regional Center

North Los Angeles County Regional Center has started notifying individuals about a cybersecurity incident and data breach that was first identified 17 months ago on November 28, 2024. Suspicious activity was identified within its computer network, and the forensic investigation confirmed unauthorized access from November 20, 2024, to December 1, 2024.

North Los Angeles County Regional Center determined that sensitive data was exfiltrated from its systems before ransomware was used to encrypt files. The files exfiltrated from its systems included names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license or other state-issued ID numbers, U.S. federal issued ID numbers, email addresses, usernames/passwords, financial account information, payment card information, health plan information, CI and patient ID numbers, medical record numbers, lab results, medications, physical and/or mental conditions, diagnosis and/or treatment information, prescription or medication information, treatment cost information, disability codes, certificate/license numbers, and certain other medical and health insurance-related information.

North Los Angeles County Regional Center said it first announced the incident on its website on January 6, 2025, to allow individuals to take steps to protect themselves against data misuse; however, it has taken time to review the affected data to allow notification letters to be issued. North Los Angeles County Regional Center said it implemented additional technical security measures shortly after the attack and is continuing to work with data security experts to further enhance the security of its systems. The Medusa ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack, in which more than 600 gigabytes of data was allegedly stolen.

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The incident is shown on the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights website as affecting 500 individuals. That is a placeholder figure, as the breach was reported to OCR on January 6, 2025, well before the investigation had concluded.  The total should be updated in the coming days, now that the data review has concluded.

Midland Care Connection

Midland Care Connection Inc., a Topeka, Kansas-based non-profit provider of patient care, hospice, and community health support services, has experienced a cybersecurity incident that may have resulted in the theft of sensitive data. Suspicious network activity was identified on March 31, 2026, and legal counsel and third-party digital forensics experts were engaged to investigate the activity. They confirmed network access by an unauthorized third party starting on March 30, 2026, and initiated a data review to determine the individuals affected and the types of information. The data review was completed on June 12, 2026.

The affected information varied from individual to individual and may have included names, birth dates, medical treatment information, medical health information, health insurance information, financial account information, and, for certain individuals, Social Security numbers. Data privacy and security policies have been reviewed and enhanced to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future, and the affected individuals have been notified by mail and offered 12 months of complimentary single-bureau credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. The incident is not yet shown on the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights breach portal, so it is currently unclear how many individuals have been affected.

Author: Steve Alder is the editor-in-chief of The HIPAA Journal. Steve is responsible for editorial policy regarding the topics covered in The HIPAA Journal. He is a specialist on healthcare industry legal and regulatory affairs, and has 10 years of experience writing about HIPAA and other related legal topics. Steve has developed a deep understanding of regulatory issues surrounding the use of information technology in the healthcare industry and has written hundreds of articles on HIPAA-related topics. Steve shapes the editorial policy of The HIPAA Journal, ensuring its comprehensive coverage of critical topics. Steve Alder is considered an authority in the healthcare industry on HIPAA. The HIPAA Journal has evolved into the leading independent authority on HIPAA under Steve’s editorial leadership. Steve manages a team of writers and is responsible for the factual and legal accuracy of all content published on The HIPAA Journal. Steve holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Liverpool. You can connect with Steve via LinkedIn or email via stevealder(at)hipaajournal.com

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