/

What happened in the Community Health Systems data bre...

What happened in the Community Health Systems data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In August 2014, Community Health Systems, a major US hospital operator, suffered a data breach that exposed sensitive information of its patients and employees. The breach was linked to unauthorized access to the company's secure file transfer software, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT. The incident highlighted the potential risks associated with third-party vendors and the need for robust security measures to protect private data.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach compromised data of approximately 4.5 million users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included social security numbers, names, addresses, birthdates, telephone numbers, and other personal identification information.

How was Community Health Systems hacked?

An unauthorized individual exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT platform, leading to the data breach at Community Health Systems. The attacker used a pre-authentication command injection issue to compromise files throughout the system. The Clop ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack, but no ransomware was used to encrypt files.

Community Health Systems's solution

In response to the hack, Community Health Systems took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included rebuilding the GoAnywhere platform with additional system limitations and restrictions, implementing further security measures to harden the platform's security, and collaborating with law enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in their investigations. Community Health Systems also began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March, offering complimentary identity restoration and credit monitoring services for 24 months.

How do I know if I was affected?

Community Health Systems began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March. If you believe you may have been affected by the breach but have not received a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to Community Health Systems's data breach, please contact Community Health Systems's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Community Health Systems data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

/

What happened in the Community Health Systems data bre...

What happened in the Community Health Systems data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In August 2014, Community Health Systems, a major US hospital operator, suffered a data breach that exposed sensitive information of its patients and employees. The breach was linked to unauthorized access to the company's secure file transfer software, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT. The incident highlighted the potential risks associated with third-party vendors and the need for robust security measures to protect private data.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach compromised data of approximately 4.5 million users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included social security numbers, names, addresses, birthdates, telephone numbers, and other personal identification information.

How was Community Health Systems hacked?

An unauthorized individual exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT platform, leading to the data breach at Community Health Systems. The attacker used a pre-authentication command injection issue to compromise files throughout the system. The Clop ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack, but no ransomware was used to encrypt files.

Community Health Systems's solution

In response to the hack, Community Health Systems took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included rebuilding the GoAnywhere platform with additional system limitations and restrictions, implementing further security measures to harden the platform's security, and collaborating with law enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in their investigations. Community Health Systems also began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March, offering complimentary identity restoration and credit monitoring services for 24 months.

How do I know if I was affected?

Community Health Systems began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March. If you believe you may have been affected by the breach but have not received a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to Community Health Systems's data breach, please contact Community Health Systems's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Community Health Systems data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Community Health Systems data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In August 2014, Community Health Systems, a major US hospital operator, suffered a data breach that exposed sensitive information of its patients and employees. The breach was linked to unauthorized access to the company's secure file transfer software, Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT. The incident highlighted the potential risks associated with third-party vendors and the need for robust security measures to protect private data.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach compromised data of approximately 4.5 million users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included social security numbers, names, addresses, birthdates, telephone numbers, and other personal identification information.

How was Community Health Systems hacked?

An unauthorized individual exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT platform, leading to the data breach at Community Health Systems. The attacker used a pre-authentication command injection issue to compromise files throughout the system. The Clop ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack, but no ransomware was used to encrypt files.

Community Health Systems's solution

In response to the hack, Community Health Systems took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included rebuilding the GoAnywhere platform with additional system limitations and restrictions, implementing further security measures to harden the platform's security, and collaborating with law enforcement, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in their investigations. Community Health Systems also began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March, offering complimentary identity restoration and credit monitoring services for 24 months.

How do I know if I was affected?

Community Health Systems began sending notification letters to affected individuals in mid-March. If you believe you may have been affected by the breach but have not received a notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the respective platform or financial institution.

For more specific help and instructions related to Community Health Systems's data breach, please contact Community Health Systems's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Community Health Systems data breach, check out the following news articles: