Notice of Data Breach
Pittsburgh, PA – January 30, 2024 – Allies for Health + Wellbeing (“AHW”) is writing to inform you of a recent data security incident that may have resulted in unauthorized access to some individuals’ sensitive personal information. This notice is intended to provide details about the incident, steps we are taking in response, and resources available to help protect against the potential misuse of sensitive personal information. At this time, we have not received any reports of related misuse of health information since the date of the Incident.
What Happened?On December 1, 2023, AHW became aware of unauthorized activity within an employee email account in its email system. Upon discovery of this incident, AHW immediately secured the employee email account and promptly engaged a specialized third-party cybersecurity firm to conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. AHW has not received any reports of fraudulent misuse of the information. The forensic investigation concluded on January 29, 2024 and determined there was unauthorized access to certain of AHW’s emails and file from November 22, 2023 to November 23, 2023. AHW is the process of reviewing the impacted items to determine which individuals may have been affected by this incident and the information that may have been exposed.
What Information Was Involved? The forensic investigation concluded on January 29, 2024 and determined there was unauthorized access to certain of AHW’s emails and files. AHW is the process of reviewing the impacted items, but has determined that the following information related to potentially impacted individuals may have been subject to unauthorized access: names; date of birth; demographic information; patient identification number; medication information; diagnosis/conditions information; treatment information; and health insurance information. Please note that no Social Security Numbers were impacted in this Incident.
Please note that the information above varies for each potentially impacted individual. Affected individuals will be notified by mail of information that was impacted.
What We Are Doing? Data privacy and security is among AHW’s highest priorities, and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect the privacy and security of the personal information in our care. Upon discovery of the Incident, AHW moved quickly to investigate and respond to the Incident and assessed the security of its systems. Specifically, AHW engaged a specialized cybersecurity firm and IT personnel to conduct a forensic investigation to determine the nature and scope of the Incident. Additionally, AHW took the following steps, including, but not limited to: changed the impacted email account credentials; implementing new technical safeguards including Multi-factor Authentication (MFA); implemented periodic technical and nontechnical evaluations; revised policies and procedures; enhanced monitoring detection and reporting, provided all staff with electronic security training, and took steps and will continue to take steps to mitigate the risk of future harm. The forensic investigation is ongoing.
Upon completion of the forensics, AHW began reviewing the impacted emails and files to determine whether identify the potentially impacted individuals and to identify the personally identifiable information or protected health information that may have been accessed by an unauthorized user. Notice letters will be mailed to the affected individuals via First Class Mail.
Please note there is no evidence at this time that any personal information has been misused as a result of this incident.
What You Can Do:
We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious or unauthorized activity. Additionally, security experts suggest that you contact your financial institution and all major credit bureaus to inform them of such a breach and then take whatever steps are recommended to protect your interests, including the possible placement of a fraud alert on your credit file. Please review the enclosed Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Your Information, to learn more about how to protect against the possibility of information misuse.
Other Important Information:
We recognize that you may have questions not addressed in this notice. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 1-833-961-6920 (toll free) Monday through Friday, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (excluding U.S. national holidays).
AHW sincerely regrets any concern or inconvenience this matter may cause and remains dedicated to ensuring the privacy and security of all information in our control.
Sincerely,
Sean DeYoung
Chief Executive Officer
Allies for Health + Wellbeing
Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Your Information
Credit Reports: You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, whether or not you suspect any unauthorized activity on your account. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. You can also order your annual free credit report by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.
Fraud Alerts: You can place fraud alertswith the three credit bureaus by phone or online. A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures, including contacting you, before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. For that reason, placing a fraud alert can protect you, but also may delay you when you seek to obtain credit. As of September 21, 2018, initial fraud alerts last for one year. Victims of identity theft can also get an extended fraud alert for seven years.
Experian Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 | TransUnion | Equifax |
Monitoring: You should always remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by reviewing credit card account statements and by monitoring your credit report for suspicious or unusual activity.
Security Freeze: You have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze is intended to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you need to make a request to each consumer reporting agency. You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, regular stamped mail, or by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are requesting a credit report for your spouse or a minor under the age of 16, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. As of September 21, 2018, it is free to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. You may also place a security freeze for children under the age of 16. You may obtain a free security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:
Experian | TransUnion | Equifax |
File Police Report: You have the right to file or obtain a police report if you experience identity fraud. Please note that in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide proof that you have been a victim. A police report is often required to dispute fraudulent items. You can generally report suspected incidents of identity theft to local law enforcement or to the Attorney General.
FTC and Attorneys General: You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338), TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement.
For residents of Iowa:State law advises you to report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement or to the Attorney General.
For residents of Massachusetts: It is required by state law that you are informed of your right to obtain a police report filed in regard to this incident.If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.
For residents of New Mexico: State law advises you to review personal account statements and credit reports, as applicable, to detect errors resulting from the security breach. You have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violators. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act at www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.
For residents of Oregon:State law advises you to report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement, including the Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission.
For residents of Rhode Island: It is required by state law that you are informed of your right to file or obtain a police report in regard to this incident.
For residents of Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island:You can obtain information from the Offices of the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission about fraud alerts, security freezes, and steps you can take toward preventing identity theft.
Federal Trade Commission - Consumer Response Center: 600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20580; 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); www.identitytheft.gov
Arizona Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection & Advocacy Section, 2005 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004 1-602-542-5025
Colorado Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection 1300 Broadway, 9th Floor, Denver, CO 80203 1-720-508-6000 www.coag.gov
District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General – Office of Consumer Protection: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 202-727-3400; www.oag.dc.gov
Illinois office of the Attorney General - 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601; 1-866-999-5630; www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
Maryland Office of the Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-888-743-0023; www.oag.state.md.us
New York Office of Attorney General - Consumer Frauds & Protection: The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224; 1-800-771-7755; https://ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/identity-theft
North Carolina Office of the Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699; 1-877-566-7226; www.ncdoj.com
Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General - Consumer Protection: 150 South Main St., Providence RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; www.riag.ri.gov