Richland County, WI Notifies 76,000 Individuals About October 2023 Cyberattack
Richland County in Wisconsin has started notifying 76,365 individuals that some of their protected health information was exposed in a September 2023 cyberattack. According to the substitute breach notification, Richland County identified unauthorized access to its network on or around October 4, 2023. After securing its systems to prevent further unauthorized access, an investigation was launched to determine the nature and scope of the unauthorized activity.
The forensic investigation confirmed that there had been unauthorized access to its internal systems from September 28, 2024, to October 26, 2023, and during that time, files may have been accessed and/or acquired by an unauthorized individual. Based on the information disclosed in its website notice, it would appear that unauthorized access continued for 22 days after the breach was detected.
The review of the affected files has taken around 10 months to complete. On August 1, 2024, Richland County confirmed that the impacted files included personal and protected health information. The types of data involved varied from individual to individual and may have included names in combination with one or more of the following: address, phone number, fax number, email address, date of death, date of birth, Social Security number, tax identification number, driver’s license or government identification number, passport number, financial account information, financial account PIN/Security Code, routing number, payment card number, payment card expiration date/CVV/Security code, username and password, license plate number, VIN number, medical information, health insurance information, prescription information and/or biometric information.
While there may have been data theft, no evidence has been identified to indicate any of the impacted data has been used for identity theft or financial fraud. The affected individuals have been notified and advised of steps they can take to reduce the risk of misuse of their data. Complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services do not appear to have been offered to the affected individuals.
Get The FREE
HIPAA Compliance Checklist
Immediate Delivery of Checklist Link To Your Email Address
Please Enter Correct Email Address
Your Privacy Respected
HIPAA Journal Privacy Policy
