If you have ties to Spectrum Health Lakeland, you will likely soon receive notice of a data breach involving one of their vendors and what you can do about it.
Here is what they tell us today:
Spectrum Health Lakeland is in the process of notifying approximately 60,000 patients about a data security issue involving a vendor.
Wolverine Services Group (WSG), a mailing company contracted by Spectrum Health Lakeland, experienced a cyberattack. WSG engaged a third-party security expert to investigate and return its information systems to normal after a ransomware attacked encrypted data.
The expert found no evidence that patient information was removed from WSG’s system or that any patient information has been misused as a result of the attack. It also could not confirm that information had not been removed so the incident has been reported to regulators as a data breach.
Spectrum Health has been working with its own technology experts since it was notified of the problem on Dec. 17, 2018. Because WSG sends billing statements to patients, the information in question includes patient name and address, type of health service(s) provided, date(s) of those services, health insurance provider and amount(s) due on the patient account.
WSG believes Social Security numbers may also have been involved. WSG has arranged for free credit monitoring and financial investigative services through AllClear ID services for affected patients for 12 months and is recommending they regularly review account statements and obtain a free credit report.
Spectrum Health regrets any concern this incident may cause the affected patients and their families and is working closely with WSG to prevent this from happening again. Patients will receive a letter in the next seven to 10 days if their information was possibly affected.
For questions regarding this issue, the public may contact AllClear ID services at 877-412-7144 or visit www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/datasecurity #
