19,000 Southwestern Vermont Medical Center patients notified of billing data breach

This month, thousands of patients of the Southwestern Vermont Medical Centre are being alerted about an online data breach event that may have given hackers access to certain personal data.

According to SVMC’s official statement, the breach primarily affects billing-related information, including names, addresses, dates of birth, and limited treatment details. However, the breach did not compromise Social Security numbers, financial information, or medical records, assuaging some concerns about the scope of the breach.

According to Rich Ogilvie, vice president of information services and chief information officer at SVMC, MOVEit Transfer handles the file transfers for thousands of businesses locally as well as globally. It has been estimated that over 60 million people are potentially affected globally.

In their official communication, SVMC expressed regret for the incident and emphasized their dedication to maintaining the highest standards of patient data security. They encouraged affected individuals to remain vigilant, review their billing statements, and promptly report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.

The notification to 19,000 patients serves as a precautionary measure in compliance with data breach notification protocols. SVMC aims to ensure transparency and support for those impacted while striving to fortify their systems against future security threats.

Chief of Staff Lauren Jandl stated that the matter is also being watched by the Attorney General’s Office in Vermont. “In this case, based on what has been reported, it appears that notice to the Attorney General’s Office is not required at this time,