FBI aware of Anchorage health clinic data breach as hackers claim 60K patients impacted

pANCHORAGE Alaska KTUU Days after an anonymous hacker group claimed they had leaked an additional 50000 Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center patient records an FBI spokesperson confirmed Monday they are aware of the claimppThe FBI Anchorage Field Office is aware of the alleged data breach affecting the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center and takes allegations of this nature seriously Chloe Martin FBI Anchorage Public Affairs officer said in a statement As a matter of longstanding policy the FBI can neither confirm nor deny the existence or otherwise provide status updates of an investigation unless if and until charges are filed ppAs a general matter the FBI considers the facts to determine if there is the possibility of a federal criminal violation and proceed as appropriate whether by investigating or referring the matter to the relevant partners Martin addedppAlaskas News Source first reported on Sept 5 how the group claimed to have stolen 10000 patient records If the groups claims are accurate it would increase the number of compromised patients to 60000 ppAnchorage Neighborhood Health Center ANHC recently became aware of a data security incident occurring on our network ANHCs website said confirming the data breach Upon discovery ANHC immediately initiated a forensic investigation which is currently underwayppWe immediately enacted our response protocols and proactively took the affected systems offline to protect our data and our patients information We are working with thirdparty cybersecurity experts to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the nature and scope of the incident and we have also notified law enforcementppGina Romero Anchorage Police Department Community Relations director said there was at least one report filed on either of the hackers claimsppANHC did not confirm the legitimacy of the new 50000person claim last week after multiple attempts for comment nor did it confirm which law enforcement agencies it was working withppThe center added in the email which confirmed the breach it was also aware that the unauthorized party has contacted some individuals in our communityppAlaskas News Source along with the Alaska Public Safety Department members of the Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Alaska Nurses Association have been sent copies of the alleged hackers emails ppANHC is a federally qualified health center that has provided primary health care services since 1974 according to its website A federally qualified health center is eligible for funding under the Public Health Service Act and qualifies for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid according to the Federally Qualified Healthcare Center Associates They also serve an underserved area or populationppOne of ANHCs patients who asked to be referred to as Elizabeth for fear her information would be further compromised said the group directly emailed her with personal information including her social security number home address email address and phone numberppMy information is clearly compromised Elizabeth previously told Alaskas News Source Whoever has access to my information clearly knows that I go to Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center which lends some credence to the idea that is where the data breach isppUnfortunately data breaches are not a rare occurrence Abhishek Karnik McAfee Threat Research Head said in an email However that does not mean information is out of affected patients handsppData breaches have become a regular part of the digital landscape and healthcare providers are often targeted because of the sensitive and valuable information they hold Karnik said We commonly see names addresses phone numbers Social Security numbers drivers license details emails and sometimes even medical histories exposed Thats the kind of data scammers can use for identity theft phishing or even impersonation months or years down the line ppKarnik said if identity is stolen or misused there are five immediate steps you should take file a police report alert the company report it to the FTC protect credit and change passwords ppIn a copy of the email Elizabeth received she said ANHC offered several steps to help protect compromised patient information in addition to offering you complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services and will provide enrollment details as soon as they become availableppThey also said they could file a report with law enforcement the state attorney general or the FTC ppThe Attorney Generals office did not immediately say whether the issue surrounding the allegations were on their radar ppANHC has not confirmed the authenticity of Elizabeths emailppShe said she received credit monitoring and an identity restoration subscription a week ago She added the ANHC also promised the cost of ongoing identity theft protection after the year was up though I had to be very persistent and assertive to get thatppIn that email exchange Elizabeth said an ANHC told her we have no evidence indicating that your medical records have been affected in any wayppSee a spelling or grammar error Report it to webktuucomppCopyright 2025 KTUU All rights reservedp