"569,000 Americans' Sensitive Data Exposed in NorthBay Healthcare Breach"

A massive data breach has exposed the sensitive personal and financial information of over 569,000 Americans. The California-based non-profit organization NorthBay Healthcare Corporation experienced an external system breach between January 11th, 2024 and April 1st of the same year, according to a data breach notification from the Office of the Maine Attorney General.

The breach affected a wide range of sensitive information, including names, birthdays, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, financial account numbers, medical information, biometric information, health insurance information, driver’s license numbers, and state or other government-issued identification numbers. Additionally, the hackers gained access to usernames and passwords, credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, security codes, and personal identification numbers (PINs).

NorthBay Health has since revamped its security protocols to prevent similar data breaches in the future. The organization is also recommending that affected customers keep a close watch on their credit reports and account statements, offering a free one-year membership to Experian IdentityWorks. If any suspicious activity is detected on an account, customers should promptly notify the relevant financial institution or company.

As of now, NorthBay Health has not detected any misuse of its customer data for fraud or identity theft. However, the breach serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information.