Kootenai Health – Data Breach Investigation
In this age of technology, amidst a world of encroaching cybersecurity threats, your personal information is more vulnerable than ever. Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel has the experience and expertise litigating data breach matters, providing compensation to victims of data breaches, and requiring businesses to enhance their data security practices to protect their consumers. If you think your information may have been compromised in a data breach, please call us at 312.782.4880 or reach us via email at lnichols@caffertyclobes.com.
Kootenai Health, based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is a healthcare system offering a comprehensive range of medical services, including emergency care, oncology, cardiology, and orthopedics. They serve patients not only in North Idaho but also in Washington, Montana, and the Spokane region.
Kootenai Health experienced a data security incident around February 22, 2024, during which an unknown actor gained unauthorized access to certain data within their network. The compromised files contained highly sensitive personal and health-related information of current and former patients and employees. Kootenai Health began notifying affected individuals by mail on August 12, 2024.
Kootenai Health has disclosed that 464,088 people’s highly sensitive information was breached. Information accessed within the breach includes dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or government-issued identification numbers, medical record numbers, medical treatment and condition information, and health insurance information.
Kootenai Health’s recent data breach is a serious matter that could inflict far-reaching consequences for those affected. The exposure of personally identifiable information, especially names and Social Security numbers, poses a significant risk of identity theft, such as criminals opening financial accounts, taking out loans, filing fraudulent tax returns, and obtaining government services in the victim’s name. Personally identifiable information can also be exposed on the Dark Web, which poses a serious threat toward the privacy and safety of many individuals. According to a recent FTC survey, the total cost of identity theft is nearly $50 billion per year, with victims losing an average of nearly $5,000 from the misuse of their personal and financial information. The exposure of protected medical information can pose an even greater danger of identity theft—such as obtaining medical services in the victim’s name, which will be charged to the victim.
Current and former employees and patients of Kootenai Health have been exposed to a heightened risk of fraud and identity theft and must now closely monitor your financial accounts. You could be at risk of incurring additional out-of-pocket costs for purchasing credit monitoring services, credit freezes, credit reports, or other protective measures to deter and detect identity theft.
Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel has the experience and expertise litigating data breach matters, providing compensation to victims of data breaches, and requiring businesses to enhance their data security practices to protect their consumers. If you suspect your sensitive personal and health-related information may have been compromised in the Kootenai Health data breach, you must take action to protect both your personal and financial well-being. Please call us at 312.782.4880 or reach us via email at lnichols@caffertyclobes.com.
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August 16, 2024Share on Social Media