'Dark Overlords' suspected in Athens Orthopedic Clinic data breach
As many as 397,000 current, former patients' information was breached, potentially including personal medical information, Clinic says.
Georgia-based Athens Orthopedic Clinic is investigating a recent data breach in which as many as 397,000 current or former patients' information was compromised, potentially including personal medical information. Additionally, Keller Rohrback L.L.P, a legal firm who claims to be investigating reports of the breach, said in a statement that 500 patient records have appeared for sale on the black market by a group of hackers known as the "Dark Overlords".
According to the clinic's website, the breach happened as part of an "external cyber-attack" on their electronic medical records using the credentials of a third-party vendor. The hackers gained access to personal information of current and former patients, including names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth and telephone numbers, and in some cases diagnoses and partial medical history.
[Also: Hacker TheDarkOverlord stole more patient records, images than originally thought, InfoArmor reports]
Athens Orthopedic Clinic is based in Georgia with more than a dozen other locations statewide, including Athens, Bethlehem, Commerce, Covington, Greensboro, Jefferson, Loganville, Madison, Monroe, Royston, and Snellville. AOC locations include Athens Orthopedic Clinics as well as work at the William Mulherin Surgery Center, Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Center (SPARC), and Athens Urgent Care.
"We apologize for the stress and worry this situation is causing our patients and their families...To protect against such breaches in the future, Athens Orthopedic Clinic has retained cyber security experts to investigate and make recommendations for additional improvements to our system, and have begun implementing these recommendations," the Clinic said on their website.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
