Nation-Wide Respiratory Therapist Suffers Data Breach

  • By Steven
  • Jan 17, 2023

Nation-Wide Respiratory Therapist Data Breach

Medical institutions have been facing a heightened risk of data breaches. We’ve seen constant reporting of hospitals, insurance companies, and therapy offices being hacked, and there is little we can do to stop it. The best steps to take are enhanced security measures, though this won’t stop everyone. It doesn’t matter how many firewalls or how much security you or your company have; nothing is unhackable.

How Did the Attack Occur?

When we think about data breaches and hacks, numerous ideas pop into our heads. We think about phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and nerds at computers with Twizzlers in their mouths and fire at their fingertips. This hack was most likely a firewall breach, as the breach was discovered after an unauthorized individual made odd movements inside the company’s systems. An investigation was immediately launched and found that on September 26, 2021, an unsanctioned party hacked into the systems. However, January 2023 saw Lincare finally taking steps to protect anyone that was potentially affected by offering protection. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

We wish we could offer victims peace of mind. However, the list starts bad and only seems to get worse. The hacker accessed information including: 

  • Addresses
  • Names
  • Birthdays
  • Lincare account numbers
  • Insurance details
  • Medical information
  • Social security numbers
  • Prescription information
  • And more 

Now, if the hackers so chose, they could steal prescriptions and tax returns and use the victims’ insurance to pay for their own issues and procedures; or they may very well sell the information to others who will do the same things with them.

How Did Lincare Admit to the Breach?

Lincare has admitted to the breach multiple times, as the breach occurred a year and a half ago at the time of writing. There have been various articles about the breach, and the company has even sent notifications to the victims and the California State Attorney General’s Office

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

As with most other breaches, the hacker will most likely sell the information accessed in this breach. Medical records can go for 250 dollars each on the black market, making them one of the highest-valued pieces of stolen information on the dark web. Luckily for victims, Lincare is offering “complimentary credit monitoring services” from Kroll. While Kroll is not one of the big three credit bureaus, it still has a very good reputation, and it would be in everyone’s best interest to accept the offer. 

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

Patients affected by this breach must remember the danger they are now facing. Medical identity theft is a rampant issue, and it’s one that people pay far less attention to than they should. If you or a loved one were affected by this breach, a few steps are available for victims. The first step is often overlooked and highly underrated; file a police report. That way, if you do end up having your identity stolen, there will be a record to go off of. You can also get a free credit report each year from the big three credit bureaus, which means you can get three per year for free.

About the Author
IDStrong Logo

Related Articles

Instagram Vulnerability Allowed Hackers Access to Control Your Phone

Security experts Check Point Research discovered a critical vulnerability while examining Instagra ... Read More

Alien Malware Infects More than 226 Mobile Apps and Steals Bank Data

As reported on September 24, 2020, by ZDNet and ThreatPost, a new strain of malware named “A ... Read More

Universal Health Systems Hit by Ransomware Attack

Universal Health Systems (UHS), a Fortune 500 company owning more than 400 hospitals across the co ... Read More

Exchange Server Bug Exposes a Big Risk to Hackers

Months after Microsoft released a patch to fix a serious flaw in MS Exchange Server, more than 61% ... Read More

Clients’ Bank Data Exposed in Blackbaud Ransomware Attack

Blackbaud software was victim to a ransomware attack last May, and new information suggests that c ... Read More

Latest Articles

What is an Incident Response?

What is an Incident Response?

What is an Incident Response? After a bank heist, the work begins with specialized teams and plans engaged, allowing for analysis of the event, and from this analysis, the bank can prepare a response to the incident.

What is a Social Engineering Attack? Techniques and Ways to Prevent

What is a Social Engineering Attack? Techniques and Ways to Prevent

Everyone has received a spam text or email at some point. Their hallmarks are widely known; they often include poor or strange grammar, suspicious links, suggested connections with companies or people, or random individuals asking for help in some capacity.

Side Channel Attack: Everything You Need To Know

Side Channel Attack: Everything You Need To Know

Every year, millions of people get victimized by data breaches. Criminals steal their data from the network environments of organizations, vendors, providers, institutions, and governments; with ever-increasing frequency, cybercriminals are making big moves in the cyber wars—and making billions of dollars. 

Featured Articles

How to Buy a House with Bad Credit

How to Buy a House with Bad Credit

Buying your own home is the American Dream, but it might seem out of reach to those with bad credit. However, the good news is, if your credit is less than perfect, you do still have options and in most cases, can still buy a home.

How Secure Is Your Password? Tips to Improve Your Password Security

How Secure Is Your Password? Tips to Improve Your Password Security

Any good IT article on computers and network security will address the importance of strong, secure passwords. However, the challenge of good passwords is that most people have a hard time remembering them, so they use simple or obvious ones that pose a security risk.

Top 10 Senior Scams and How to Prevent Them

Top 10 Senior Scams and How to Prevent Them

Senior scams are becoming a major epidemic for two reasons. First, seniors often have a lot of money in the bank from a life of working hard and saving.

Free Identity Exposure Scan
Instantly and Securely Check if Your Personal Information is Exposed on the Dark Web or Sold by Data Brokers
Please enter first name
Please enter last name
Please select a state
Close
Free Identity Threat Scan
Instantly Check if Your Personal Information is Exposed
All fields below are required
Please enter first name
Please enter last name
Please enter a city
Please select a state
Please enter an age
Please enter an email address
Close