Memo Hamilton County data breach has gone unreported Chattanooga Times Free Press
pAs many as 14000 people within the EMS system may be affectedpp
March 25 2025 at 854 pm
ppby
Joan McClane
ppHamilton County officials were notified more than 240 days ago about a data breach potentially compromising financial information for more than 14000 people according to an internal memo this monthppAccording to the memo from the county attorneys office affected parties and the public were supposed to be notified within 60 days but that does not appear to have happenedppThe memo focuses on Nationwide Recovery Services which the county contracted with for debt collection service for past due receivables across several county departments including the criminal court clerks office ambulance billing the health department and the Water and Wastewater Treatment AuthorityppAccording to the memo the firm sent a letter on Feb 17 saying that it had reported a cyber incident to Hamilton County on July 14 2024ppREAD MORE Hackers have stolen your personal information in a data breach Now whatppThis notice was sent by email to various individuals at Accounting and Finance the March 11 memo saidppThe confidential memo was sent by Dana Beltramo of the county attorneys office to County Attorney Rheubin Taylor Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp special adviser Janie Varnell privacy officer Angela Duncan risk manager Judith BarronSongy and all 11 Hamilton County commissioners It was obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free PressppWamp his communications director and his press secretary did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday eveningppNationwide Recovery Services determined that data Hamilton County provided was potentially impacted according to the memoppThis includes both personally identifiable information the memo said such as financial account information and addresses and protected health information such as medical related information and namesppThe memo said further correspondence with Nationwide showed the breach potentially compromised information for 14084 individuals within the Hamilton County Emergency Medical Service systemppAccording to the federal law governing health privacy affected individuals must be notified of such a breach the memo said and for breaches involving more than 500 people notices must be given to prominent media outlets serving the jurisdiction and to the secretary of Health and Human Services for its websiteppMailings and the media release must also contain a tollfree number that must remain active for 90 days from the date of the publication that allows affected individuals to reach a representative to make inquiry regarding whether their information was included in the breach according to the memoppREAD MORE Will the Social Security data breach affect my MedicareppAll of the foregoing notices and reports are required to be completed within 60 days of the covered entitys knowledge or discovery of the breach the memo said As of today it has been 240 calendar days since Hamilton County first had knowledge of the breach July 14 2024 and 180 days past the 60day notice periodppThe memo placed the phrases containing the 60day 180day and 240day periods in bold underlined textppThe memo said it didnt appear that the firm had notified the affected individuals and a review of the contract reflected no specific terms addressing which party is responsible for the cost and coordination of the required notifications when the breach is through the companys system but involves Hamilton Countys datappTo the extent responsibility for such notification falls to Hamilton County Beltramo wrote Ms Duncan and I would struggle to complete these tasks in a timely manner without appropriate support access to data and resourcesppThe memo said that Beltramo and Duncan were not involved in drafting the bid documents or the contract with the collection agencyppContact Joan McClane at jmcclanetimesfreepresscom or 4237576601ppPrivacy PreferencesppCopyright 2025 Chattanooga Times Free Press IncppAll rights reservedppThis document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press IncppMaterial from the Associated Press is Copyright 2025 Associated Press and may not be published broadcast rewritten or redistributed Associated Press text photo graphic audio andor video material shall not be published broadcast rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays inaccuracies errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing All rights reservedp
March 25 2025 at 854 pm
ppby
Joan McClane
ppHamilton County officials were notified more than 240 days ago about a data breach potentially compromising financial information for more than 14000 people according to an internal memo this monthppAccording to the memo from the county attorneys office affected parties and the public were supposed to be notified within 60 days but that does not appear to have happenedppThe memo focuses on Nationwide Recovery Services which the county contracted with for debt collection service for past due receivables across several county departments including the criminal court clerks office ambulance billing the health department and the Water and Wastewater Treatment AuthorityppAccording to the memo the firm sent a letter on Feb 17 saying that it had reported a cyber incident to Hamilton County on July 14 2024ppREAD MORE Hackers have stolen your personal information in a data breach Now whatppThis notice was sent by email to various individuals at Accounting and Finance the March 11 memo saidppThe confidential memo was sent by Dana Beltramo of the county attorneys office to County Attorney Rheubin Taylor Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp special adviser Janie Varnell privacy officer Angela Duncan risk manager Judith BarronSongy and all 11 Hamilton County commissioners It was obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free PressppWamp his communications director and his press secretary did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday eveningppNationwide Recovery Services determined that data Hamilton County provided was potentially impacted according to the memoppThis includes both personally identifiable information the memo said such as financial account information and addresses and protected health information such as medical related information and namesppThe memo said further correspondence with Nationwide showed the breach potentially compromised information for 14084 individuals within the Hamilton County Emergency Medical Service systemppAccording to the federal law governing health privacy affected individuals must be notified of such a breach the memo said and for breaches involving more than 500 people notices must be given to prominent media outlets serving the jurisdiction and to the secretary of Health and Human Services for its websiteppMailings and the media release must also contain a tollfree number that must remain active for 90 days from the date of the publication that allows affected individuals to reach a representative to make inquiry regarding whether their information was included in the breach according to the memoppREAD MORE Will the Social Security data breach affect my MedicareppAll of the foregoing notices and reports are required to be completed within 60 days of the covered entitys knowledge or discovery of the breach the memo said As of today it has been 240 calendar days since Hamilton County first had knowledge of the breach July 14 2024 and 180 days past the 60day notice periodppThe memo placed the phrases containing the 60day 180day and 240day periods in bold underlined textppThe memo said it didnt appear that the firm had notified the affected individuals and a review of the contract reflected no specific terms addressing which party is responsible for the cost and coordination of the required notifications when the breach is through the companys system but involves Hamilton Countys datappTo the extent responsibility for such notification falls to Hamilton County Beltramo wrote Ms Duncan and I would struggle to complete these tasks in a timely manner without appropriate support access to data and resourcesppThe memo said that Beltramo and Duncan were not involved in drafting the bid documents or the contract with the collection agencyppContact Joan McClane at jmcclanetimesfreepresscom or 4237576601ppPrivacy PreferencesppCopyright 2025 Chattanooga Times Free Press IncppAll rights reservedppThis document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press IncppMaterial from the Associated Press is Copyright 2025 Associated Press and may not be published broadcast rewritten or redistributed Associated Press text photo graphic audio andor video material shall not be published broadcast rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays inaccuracies errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing All rights reservedp
