Tag Archive for: Tampa

Tampa General Hospital hack affects data of 1.2M patients


Tampa General Hospital says an “unauthorized third party” hacked its computer network in May and obtained personal data — including Social Security numbers — of about 1.2 million patients.

The hospital says it discovered “unusual activity” on its systems on May 31. An investigation determined the hack by a “criminal group” occurred between May 12 and May 30, according to a statement posted Wednesday on its website.

Tampa General, one of the state’s largest hospitals and a Level 1 trauma center, reported the “cybersecurity event” to the FBI.

“We immediately took steps to contain the activity and began an investigation with the assistance of a third-party forensic firm,” the hospital says. “Fortunately, TGH’s monitoring systems and experienced technology professionals effectively prevented encryption, which would have significantly interrupted the hospital’s ability to provide care for patients.”

A review found the stolen patient data varied by individual. The hospital says its “may” have included names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, health insurance information, medical record numbers, account numbers, dates of service and limited treatment information used for business operations.

Tampa General says patients who may have been affected will receive notification by mail.

The hospital says complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection will be available to patients whose Social Security number was involved.

“Patients are encouraged to review statements from their health insurer and health care providers, and to contact them immediately if they see any services they did not receive,” the hospital says.

The hospital adds that its electronic medical record system was not involved or accessed.

“The hospital is continuously updating and hardening systems to help prevent events such as this from occurring and has implemented additional defensive tools and increased monitoring,” the statement says.

Tampa General is a private nonprofit hospital with more than 1,000 beds. It is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of…

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Tampa Bay zoo targeted in cyberattack by apparent offshoot of Royal ransomware


One of the U.S.’s most popular zoos has been hit with a cyberattack involving the theft of employee and vendor information, and a likely offshoot of the Royal ransomware gang is taking credit.

ZooTampa confirmed to Recorded Future News that it recently discovered an incident that impacted its network environment.

“Upon detecting the incident, the Zoo took swift action and promptly engaged third-party forensic specialists to assist us with securing the network environment and investigate the extent of the unauthorized activity. ZooTampa also contacted and are working with federal law enforcement,” a spokesperson said.

The organization notified employees and vendors whose information may have been accessed, while it continues to investigate.

“ZooTampa does not store personal or financial information on daily visitors or members,” they said.

The zoo, which is consistently ranked in the country’s top 10, is run by a nonprofit and was designated a center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity by the state government. It is in the process of raising funds for a $125 million renovation announced in December.

The spokesperson did not respond to further questions about whether the attack involved ransomware, but on July 5 the BlackSuit ransomware gang claimed to have attacked the zoo.

The group is relatively new, having first appeared in May, and has posted three victims to its extortion site, according to Recorded Future ransomware expert Allan Liska. The Record is an editorially independent unit of Recorded Future.

According to Liska, the group appears to have ties to the Royal ransomware gang, which is responsible for headline-grabbing attacks on the city of Dallas and more. Both BlackSuit and Royal also have ties to the now defunct Conti ransomware group, which disbanded last June and splintered into several new gangs, according to experts.

While the BlackSuit group is new, the operators are likely experienced due to their work with Conti…

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You may be owed money under Yahoo’s pending data breach settlement: Here’s what you need to know – FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

You may be owed money under Yahoo’s pending data breach settlement: Here’s what you need to know  FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

If you had a Yahoo account anytime in 2012 through 2016, you may be eligible for free credit monitoring services or a cash payment under a pending …

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Investigating cyber-security at U.S. Central Command – FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

Investigating cyber-security at U.S. Central Command  FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

While the college admissions scandal exposed students getting undue help on their exams, FOX 13 started hearing and investigating claims of a different kind of …

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