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​Brunswick Hospital Center Provides Notice of Data Event
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Amityville, NY – [10/31/24] – Brunswick Hospital Center (“Brunswick”) is providing notice of a recent event that may affect the privacy of information pertaining to certain patients. We have no indications of identity theft or fraud associated with this event and we are providing notice of this event so potentially affected individuals can take any steps they deem to be appropriate.
 
What Happened. On September 3, 2024, Brunswick was alerted to suspicious activity on certain systems on our computer network. Upon learning of the suspicious activity, we moved quickly to ensure the security of our systems and launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the event with the assistance of cybersecurity specialists. The investigation determined that an unauthorized actor gained access to certain systems between July 17, 2024 and August 6, 2024 and accessed or copied certain data on those systems. Thanks to the dedicated work of our team, the event was contained and there is no evidence of continued unauthorized access. Further, we promptly reported the event to federal law enforcement and governmental regulators.
As part of the investigation, we undertook comprehensive review of the potentially impacted data to determine what information may be affected and to whom the information relates. That review is ongoing. Once complete, we will communicate directly with patients whose information is identified in the review.

What Information Was Involved. The information that may be impacted varies by individual and may include: full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, dates of service, patient ID number, procedure codes, procedure costs, procedure and provider information, diagnosis, health insurance information, claim information, and information related to the payment of healthcare services.

What We Are Doing. Upon identifying the event, we moved quickly to secure the network, investigate the event, and determine the scope of impact. we also notified law enforcement and appropriate regulators. We are also reviewing policies, procedures, and security tools to reduce the likelihood of a similar event from occurring in the future.

For More Information. If you have further questions, you may contact Brunswick at notice@brunswickhospitalcenter.org, or 
toll free at 833-789-1200.

What You Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and explanation of benefits and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. If you detect any suspicious activity on your accounts, you should promptly notify the financial institution or company with which the account is maintained. You also should promptly report any fraudulent activity or any suspected incidence of identity theft to proper law enforcement authorities, your state attorney general, and/or the Federal Trade Commission.

You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348. You also can contact one of the following three national credit reporting agencies:
 

Equifax

P.O. Box 105851
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com
 

Experian

P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
 

TransUnion

P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com

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You have the right to place a “security freeze” on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed above.

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In order to request a security freeze, you may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);

2. Social Security number;

3. Date of birth;

4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;

5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;

6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, military identification, etc.);

7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft

 

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on your file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years.  Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the consumer reporting agencies.

 

You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your 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); 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. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state attorney general.

 

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/