Quest Diagnostics, one of the nation’s largest lab test providers, has warned millions of its customers that their personal information, including financial and medical information, may have been compromised due to an issue with one of its vendors. According to an NBC news report, in a filing with securities regulators, Quest said it was notified that someone had unauthorized access to the systems of AMCA, a billing collections vendor, between Aug. 1, 2018, and March 30, 2019.
The information that might have been compromised included credit card numbers, bank account details, medical records and Social Security numbers. However, AMCA did not have access to individuals’ lab test results, Quest said. About 11.9 million patients whose information was stored in the AMCA system may have been affected. The company said it hasn’t received complete information from AMCA regarding the data reach yet.
What is a Data Breach?
A data breach is a confirmed incident in which sensitive, confidential or otherwise protected data has been accessed and/or disclosed in an unauthorized fashion. The data breach may involve personal health information or personally identifiable information. Common data breach exposures include personal information such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and healthcare histories.
If an unauthorized person views such data, the organization charged with protecting that information is said to have suffered a data breach. If a data breach results in identity theft and/or violation of government or industry compliance mandates, the offending organization may face fines or other civil litigation.
If Your Information Has Been Compromised
If your information has been compromised as a result of a data breach, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. First, it’s important to understand what information has been stolen. The least sensitive information is the names and street addresses. The most sensitive pieces of information include credit card numbers, bank account numbers, passport numbers, etc.
If your online account has been compromised, change the password on that account right away. If you used the same password for other accounts, change those as well and make up a new, strong password for each account. If your credit card or debit card number has been compromised, call your bank or credit card company and ask them to issue you a new card. Contact major consumer credit-reporting bureaus and ask each to place a fraud alert on your name so you’ll know if anyone attempts to steal your identity.
If you have been victimized as a result of your personal information being compromised, contact an experienced class action attorney who can help you seek compensation for your losses and hold the companies that failed to safeguard your information, accountable.
Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Quest-Diagnostics-12-Million-People-Data-Breach-510754611.html
