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October 20, 2016 - 4:30 PM
VERNON - A local doctor’s office was the target of an attempted hacking last month.
On Sept. 24, the offices of Dr. Larrie Mandreck experienced a remote hacking attempt during which unauthorized access was briefly made to the computer system, according to a release from the office.
“There is no indication this was a hack for information and no indication patients record were actually accessed. The attack appears to have been focused on encrypting system files for ransom, and a review of Dr. Mandreck’s network traffic discloses no large-scale download of information consistent with the uploading of patient records,” states the release.
Due to the sensitive nature of health information, the office is taking steps to notify all current and former patients of the potential privacy breach, including contacting all current patients directly. Information that is contained in the patient files could include, name, date of birth, email address, home address, telephone number, the name of employers, as well as notes in relation to the treatment offered at the office.
The office does not keep any bank account numbers in the patient files, although in rare cases credit card information may be on file.
“We encourage you to contact your financial institutions to place a note on your account in case unauthorized individuals attempt to access your account fraudulently. We also recommend that you contact other credit bureaus (e.g. Equifax, or TransUnion) in Canada to request a free copy of your most recent credit report.”
The office has notified the RCMP, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C.
“The hack occurred despite several layers of security measures already in place, including password protection and encryption of patient files,” the office says.
In addition to notifying patients of the potential breach, Dr. Mandreck’s office is working with security professionals to prevent the possibility of similar incidents occurring in the future.
Anyone with additional questions can contact Dr. Mandreck’s office at 250-503-2205 or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. at 250-387-5629.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2016