UCLA Health Attack Accesses 4.5 Million Individuals' Records

Hackers have accessed the personal information of 4.5 million people after the UCLA Health System became the victim of a cyberattack on May 5, 2015. The attacker gained access to part of the network that contains personal information such as names, addressed, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, Medicare or health plan ID numbers, and some medical information.

The 4.5 million people whose information was accessed include UCLA Health patients and providers who sought privileges at any UCLA Health hospital. According to the health system, there is no evidence at this time that the attacker actually accessed or acquired the personal or medical information maintained on the impacted parts of the UCLA Health network

“We take this attack on our systems extremely seriously,” James Atkinson, MD, the interim associate vice chancellor and president of the UCLA Hospital System, said in a statement. “Our patients come first at UCLA Health and confidentiality is a critical part of our commitment to care. We sincerely regret any impact this incident may have on those we serve. We have taken significant steps to further protect data and strengthen our network against another cyber attack.”

individuals whose information was stored on the affected parts of the network are in the process of being notified and will be offered 12 months of identity theft recovery and restoration services as well as additional health care identity protection tools.