Durham, N.C.-based EmergeOrtho has notified 75,200 patients that some of their protected health information may have been accessed by unauthorized individuals.
On May 18, the practice detected and blocked a ransomware attack on some of its computer systems, EmergeOrtho said in a letter to patients.
An investigation, which concluded Aug. 19, confirmed that hackers had accessed files containing patients' protected health information, including first and last names, addresses, financial account information, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, and, in some instances, medical and treatment information.
Most of the affected patients reside in the Coastal region, according to EmergeOrtho. The practice is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to patients whose Social Security numbers may have been accessed.
EmergeOrtho conducted the investigation with an outside forensic investigation firm and worked with a team of IT specialists to confirm the security of its computer network. The practice said it is also coordinating with the FBI.
The group also said it implemented additional monitoring tools and will continue enhance the security of its systems.