Lawsuit Pharmacist used spyware on UMMS computers to watch women

pUMMS failed to guard against this type of attack plaintiffs attorney tells 11 News Investigates in exclusive interviewppUMMS failed to guard against this type of attack plaintiffs attorney tells 11 News Investigates in exclusive interviewppUMMS failed to guard against this type of attack plaintiffs attorney tells 11 News Investigates in exclusive interviewppA Maryland pharmacist is accused of installing spyware on 400 computers over eight years to watch women at the hospital or in their homes a lawsuit allegesppSix women filed a civil lawsuit on Thursday against the University of Maryland Medical System accusing negligence According to the lawsuit a pharmacist hacked hospital and home cameras and gained access to their intimate videos and credit card information The lawsuit alleges the pharmacist spied on more than 80 men and womenppOne of the plaintiffs attorneys Cindy Morgan told 11 News Investigates in an exclusive interview on Friday that she has never seen a case of this magnitude or scale in her decade of practicing law She said the invasion of privacy the plaintiffs experienced has been traumatizingppThe voyeurism in this case is like a magnitude that we havent seen Morgan told 11 News InvestigatesppUMMS sent an email on Oct 1 notifying employees of a significant data breach by an inside actor but offered no further details Then the FBI began contacting people showing them personal photos and videos that the pharmacist had obtainedppThese women had no idea until they got calls from the FBI that they had been personally targeted and impacted in such an intimate way Morgan told 11 News InvestigatesppMorgan said UMMS knew more than it shared with employeesppWe think that they were on notice of this issue for at least several weeks to potentially several years before this issue came to light Morgan told 11 News Investigates Victims didnt know that he was actively surveying them in their homes or that they were being actively surveyed in the centerppThe lawsuit alleges a pharmacist installed the spyware on 400 computers across the hospital system not just the department where he workedppHe used that keystroke software to gain the usernames and passwords of his victims and then he used those usernames and passwords to access their personal accounts Morgan told 11 News Investigates He was able to access their home surveillance systems and through that access he was able to actively survey them in their homesppAdditionally Morgan said the pharmacist was able to get credit card drivers license and passport information as well as protected health informationppHe viewed and recorded some of the victims breastfeeding their children and in intimate momentsppHe viewed and recorded some of the victims breastfeeding their children having sex with their spouses Morgan told 11 News InvestigatesppThe pharmacist left or was fired by UMMS in the fall and is currently working at another medical institution in BaltimoreppThe pharmacist did not respond to multiple calls from 11 News investigates requesting comment and 11 News Investigates is not naming him because he is not criminally chargedppAsked why a civil suit is being filed before any potential criminal charges Morgan told 11 News Investigates Our clients and the victims of this suit are rightfully terrified that he is accruing more victims and so this suit was brought primarily to protect other victims from suffering future harmppVideo below Civil lawsuit alleges negligence at UMMS after spyware foundppMorgan said for this to have gone on for at least eight years on hundreds of computers UMMS has to be held accountableppIt shows for us the complete and utter failure of the institution to have any you know reasonable and protective IT measures to guard against this type of attack Morgan told 11 News Investigates Health care facilities are subject to statutory requirements because they store protected health data There must have been a complete failure on the institutions part to have any type of firewalls or safety measures in place to protect the employeesppIn a statement sent to 11 News Investigates UMMS said it is disappointed and angered by the individuals actions which is why we have worked collaboratively over the past several months with the FBI and US Attorneys Office who are engaged in an active criminal investigationppThe UMMS statement follows in its entiretyppThe plaintiffs attorneys are asking a Maryland judge to make the case a classaction lawsuit to allow other victims to joinppHearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sitesp