Otolaryngology Associates – 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.
Recently, Otolaryngology Associates experienced a data security incident that breached highly sensitive personal, financial, and medical information belonging to its current and former patients and employees. This data breach occurred on February 17, 2024, due to an unauthorized actor gaining access to their network. They recently began notifying impacted individuals via mail.
Otolaryngology Associates has disclosed that approximately 317,000 people’s highly sensitive information was breached. Information accessed within the breach includes the impacted individual’s Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, appointment schedules, referral forms, and insurance plan numbers. For OA staff, potentially impacted information could also include bank account and payroll information.
Otolaryngology Associates’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 patients and employees of Otolaryngology Associates, you 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, financial, and medical information may have been compromised in the Otolaryngology Associates 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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April 4, 2024Share on Social Media