Actions

Terros Health data breach: 1,600 patients potentially impacted

Posted at 9:08 PM, Jun 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-10 14:51:10-04

Officials with Terros Health say a data breach has possibly compromised personal information of more than one thousand of its patients.

In a news release Friday, June 8, the company says it mailed letters to 1,600 people whose information may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party.

Patients' name, date of birth, physical and email address, diagnosis, medical records number and "other protected health information" may have been exposed.

Nearly all of those potentially impacted by the breach received treatment at the clinic near 23rd and Dunlap avenues in Phoenix. Additionally, the company said 1,241 of the 1,600 patients may have only had their name and birthday disclosed.

The company said the Social Security numbers for 142 patients might have also been exposed, and those affected will receive complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

Terros Health learned of the breach on April 12 and said it happened November 16, 2017. The news release said a phishing attack allowed a person or group to access a company email account.

Phishing attacks are attempts to gain access to confidential information through the use of fraudulent communication, typically through email. Messages are disguised to appear genuine and from trusted sources as a way to gain access to people's confidential information, according to the software company Cisco.

The company advises those affected by the breach to be on the lookout for fraud by carefully reviewing account statements and credit report.

Patients concerned they may have been impacted can contact Terros' call center weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Arizona time at (800) 556-9719.