MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The personal data of as many as 4.5 million individuals could have been compromised following a cyber attack on the computer network of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) health system.
"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," Dr. James Atkinson, the president of the UCLA Hospital System, said as quoted in a Friday UCLA Health statement.
According to the statement, UCLA Health is now working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as private computer forensic experts, to strengthen its network security and protect information stored on its servers.
On May 5 2015 UCLA Health determined that the hackers had actually accessed parts of the network where individuals' names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and medical information was stored.
"Based on the continuing investigation, it appears that the attackers may have had access to these parts of the network as early as September 2014. We continue to investigate this matter," UCLA Health said in its Friday statement.
UCLA Health is in the process of notifying all individuals who might have been affected by the breach and is prepared to provide credit monitoring services to the cyber attack victims, according to its statement.
UCLA Health provides healthcare and advanced treatment options to Los Angeles residents, as well as those living in other parts of Southern California. The health system includes four hospitals located on two UCLA campuses, as well as over 150 primary and specialty offices.
