The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) has detected suspicious activity in its IT network, leading to concerns about a potential data breach involving patient information. On February 13, 2024, EMSA initiated its incident response protocols after identifying the suspicious activity, which involved shutting off select systems as a precautionary measure.
Following an investigation with the assistance of a third-party forensic firm and law enforcement, it was determined that an unauthorized party accessed the network between February 10, 2024, and February 13, 2024, acquiring files containing information on certain EMSA patients.
Beginning March 22, EMSA has started mailing notification letters to individuals whose information may have been compromised and for whom they have sufficient contact details. Patients whose Social Security numbers were involved will receive complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection support services.
Additionally, EMSA advises patients to carefully review communications from healthcare providers and promptly report any unauthorized charges for services they did not receive. EMSA has established a dedicated, toll-free call center to address individuals’ questions about the incident, available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time.
Despite the breach, EMSA reassures the community that it continued to provide services during the incident. The organization has implemented and will continue to adopt additional safeguards to enhance the protection and monitoring of its systems, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
