Coastal Plains Community MHMR Center Provides Notice of Security Incident

PORTLAND, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coastal Plains Community MHMR Center (d/b/a Coastal Plains Community Center and Coastal Plains Integrated Health) ("Coastal Plains" or "we"), a provider of mental health, developmental disabilities, substance use, and primary care services, confirmed today that it experienced a data incident in November 2023 and will issue notices to affected individuals and relevant state and federal agencies about the Incident.

On November 13, 2023, Coastal Plains discovered suspicious activity on our systems with indicators consistent with a ransomware attack (the "Incident"). Upon discovering the Incident, we immediately implemented measures to improve the security of our systems, including changing access controls to our network and implementing endpoint detection and response monitoring. We have been working diligently to continue our investigation, add further technical safeguards to our existing protections, and bring systems back online as quickly and securely as possible. We continue to work with leading privacy and security professionals to aid in our investigation and response, and we are reporting this Incident to relevant government agencies. 

At this time, and due to the nature of the Incident, the investigation is still ongoing into what data pertaining to individuals was affected ("Information"). Currently, the investigation has found evidence that unauthorized actors accessed Coastal Plains systems for a brief amount of time in November 2023. While there is currently no indication that the unauthorized actor has misused any personal information for identity theft or fraud in connection with this Incident, we are providing this notice to all individuals who may be potentially affected by this situation.

While the investigation is ongoing, there is a possibility that the following types of Information may have been impacted: name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number, driver's license number or other government-issued identification number, passport number, financial account information, payment card number, username and credentials, clinical or treatment information, medical provider name, disability codes, medical procedure information, health insurance information, and/or prescription information. Note that this describes general categories of Information identified as present within the affected systems during the Incident and includes categories that are not relevant to each individual whose Information may have been present. Specific individuals and the extent of the Information involved is not yet known. Because this investigation is ongoing, this notice will be updated as more information becomes available.

As the investigation continues, we encourage individuals who may be potentially impacted to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud. We encourage a cautious review of account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity. Additional monitoring can be conducted by checking free credit reports for suspicious activity and errors. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one (1) free credit report annually from each of the three (3) major credit reporting bureaus. Additional information and resources are outlined below. 

Moreover, information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps an individual can take to protect personal information may be obtained by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or the appropriate state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Individuals can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by calling 1-877-438-4338. Individuals should file a police report if they are a victim of identity theft or fraud. To file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, an individual will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim.

If you have questions for Coastal Plains, you can contact our Privacy Officer, Amy Stratton at 361-777-3991 or by email at [email protected].

SOURCE Coastal Plains Community MHMR Center