Perry Johnson & Associates (PJ&A), a US medical transcription company, was the target of a major cyberattack earlier this year. The breach led to the theft of highly sensitive personal and health data from nearly nine million individuals. PJ&A provides transcription services to healthcare organizations and physicians for dictating and transcribing patient notes.
The breach, which occurred between March and May, is considered one of the worst medical-related data breaches in recent memory, according to TechCrunch. The stolen data includes patient names, dates of birth, addresses, hospital account and medical record numbers, admission diagnoses, and dates and times of service. It also includes Social Security numbers, insurance details, and clinical information obtained from medical transcription files.
PJ&A responded promptly to the breach, engaging a cybersecurity vendor to investigate, contain the threat, and reinforce its systems against future breaches. The company confirmed that the breach did not compromise the systems or networks of its healthcare customers.
PJ&A conducted a comprehensive review of the affected files, providing the results to impacted customers and collaborating with them to notify individuals whose information was identified during the review. The company encouraged affected individuals to carefully review the notifications they receive and outlined its commitment to preventing future breaches.
In response to the incident, PJ&A is reviewing its security measures, implementing additional technical safeguards, and intensifying monitoring efforts to strengthen its systems. Despite the lack of evidence suggesting the misuse of individuals’ information for fraudulent purposes or identity theft, the company is taking steps to address potential concerns raised by the breach.
PJ&A disclosed that the stolen data did not include credit card information, bank account details, or login credentials, but it did contain Social Security numbers, insurance particulars, and additional clinical details for some individuals.
The medical transcription firm assured its commitment to safeguarding information and initiated the notification process promptly after discovering the breach. PJ&A emphasized its dedication to protecting the privacy and security of the individuals affected by the breach.
The company’s public statement emphasized its proactive approach to addressing the breach and outlined the steps taken to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack. PJ&A expressed regret over the incident and reiterated its commitment to preventing future breaches of this nature.
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