On March 21, 2024, Lakewood Medical Center (“LMC”) filed a notice of data breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after discovering that hackers were able to gain access to its computer network through a cyberattack. In this notice, LMC explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s licenses, and health information. Upon completing its investigation, LMC began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Lakewood Medical Center, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Lakewood Medical Center data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Lakewood Medical Center Data Breach?

The Lakewood Medical Center data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, LMC’s filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights provides some important information on what led up to the breach. LMC also posted a website notice discussing the incident.

According to these sources, on January 26, 2024, LMC detected suspicious activity within its computer network. In response, LMC secured its system and then enlisted the help of third-party data security experts to assist with an investigation.

Ultimately, Lakewood Medical Center’s investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party had gained access to its computer network on January 25, 2024, and launched a ransomware attack in the early mornings of January 26, 2024. This resulted in LMC’s network being encrypted and a loss of all electronic medical record files for patients who were seen prior to January 26, 2024.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Lakewood Medical Center reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, phone number, email address, driver’s license, and health information.

If Lakewood Medical Center hasn’t already, it will soon be sending out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Lakewood Medical Center

Lakewood Medical Center is a healthcare services provider based in Lakewood, Colorado.