On December 12, 2023, Southern Illinois Healthcare - Harrisburg Medical Center (“SIH HMC”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that an unknown and unauthorized party was able to access its computer network. In this notice, HMC explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, prescription information, insurance information, driver’s license/state ID numbers, digital/electronic signatures, and financial account numbers. Upon completing its investigation, HMC began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you receive a data breach notification from Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg Medical Center data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the Harrisburg Medical Center Data Breach?
The Harrisburg Medical Center data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, HMC’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on December 23, 2022, SIH HMC discovered unusual activity within its computer system. In response, Harrisburg Medical Center worked with law enforcement and enlisted the help of third-party data security specialists to investigate the incident.
The SIH HMC investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed its systems between December 19, 2022 and December 23, 2022. Further, it was determined that, during this time, the unauthorized party accessed and acquired certain documents containing confidential patient information.
After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Harrisburg Medical Center reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. Harrisburg Medical Center completed this process on August 24, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, Social Security number, date of birth, medical information, prescription information, insurance information, driver’s license/state ID number, digital/electronic signature, and financial account number.
On December 12, 2023, Harrisburg Medical Center sent 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 Harrisburg Medical Center
Founded in 2001, Harrisburg Medical Center is a healthcare system based out of Harrisburg, Illinois. SIH HMC is part of the Southern Illinois Healthcare network, along with St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Herrin Hospital and Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Southern Illinois Healthcare, through its hospitals and clinics, serves patients in Saline, Gallatin, Hardin, Pope, and White Counties. Harrisburg Medical Center employs more than 450 people and generates approximately $66 million in annual revenue. Southern Illinois Healthcare employs 4,000 people and generates $584 million in annual revenue.
