News
Meigs Co. EMS Suffers Information Hack
By: WOUB Staff Writer
Posted on:
Officials at Meigs County Emergency Medical Services are notifying patients of a potential breach of their “protected health information.”
A “ransomware attack” was detected on the server for the agency in October, according to a letter signed by EMS Director Robert Jacks, which was posted to the EMS Facebook and website on Monday.
“On Oct. 25, 2016, we found evidence that the hackers had gained access to our EMS server and may have acquired data on individuals related to their treatment by Meigs County EMS,” the letter stated. “After a thorough investigation by a leading forensics company, we are confident that the ransomware has been contained.”
The agency has since notified 707 EMS patients through a letter mailed on Dec. 5 to the patients’ last known address.
The “potentially vulnerable” information may have included patient’s names, addresses, treatment information, medical history, insurance information and other medical information, according to the statement.
“For some individuals, but not all, the information may have also included a Social Security number, (Medicare identification) number or health savings account benefit card information,” Jacks wrote.
The incident has been reported to the FBI and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The EMS agency is also scheduling “comprehensive data security and privacy training sessions .”
The investigation into the hack did not indicated inappropriate use of Social Security numbers or other information, officials said.
Anyone who has not received a letter but has been a patient of Meigs EMS should contact the agency at (740) 992-4727.