Health Dpt. Says Client Data May Have Been Accessed Without Authorization
(KLIX) – The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) said clients’ personal information may have been accessed without authorization.
OS Inc., which provides claims management services to the department, told the department that it immediately launched an investigation after discovering suspicious activity in an employee’s email account.
The access was obtained through an email phishing campaign, the department said in a news release on Thursday, noting that there was no evidence that personal information or financial account information was accessed. Still, individuals with questions about this incident can call 866-775-4209.
DHW also said that the 2,060 individuals potentially affected by the unauthorized access have or will be notified by OS with a notice sent by U.S. Postal Service.
“Protecting the personal health and financial information for the people we serve is critical for the Department of Health and Welfare,” DHW Director Dave Jeppesen said in the release. “We are working closely with OS to make sure proper notifications have been sent and that those affected have access to monitoring and assistance to make sure their information is safe.
“We are also working with OS to make sure this doesn’t happen again. In addition, I’ve asked my staff to evaluate the lessons learned from this incident, so we can apply those to our overall cybersecurity efforts.”