Notice of Cybersecurity Incident
Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics (“Access Sports”) is notifying individuals whose information may have been involved in a data incident.
We take the security of personal information seriously and want to provide information and resources that can be used to protect personal information.
What Happened:
On May 10, 2024, Access Sports detected suspicious activity in our network environment. Upon discovery of this incident, Access Sports promptly took steps to secure our network and engaged a specialized cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the incident. As a result of the investigation, Access Sports Medicine learned that an unauthorized actor accessed certain files and data stored within our network.
Upon learning this, we launched a review of the potentially affected data to identify the individuals and information involved. On July 3, 2024, and July 19, 2024, Access Sports identified persons whose personal health information (“PHI”) was included within the impacted data.
What Information Was Involved? Access Sports is notifying impacted individuals and providing information and resources to help protect individuals’ personal information. The following types of information may have been impacted: name, date of birth, medical information, Social Security number, health insurance information, and limited financial information.
As of this writing, Access Sports has not received any reports of related identity theft since the date of the incident (May 10, 2024, to present).
What We are Doing: Data privacy and security is among our highest priorities, and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect the privacy and security of the personal information in our care. Since the discovery of the incident, Access Sports moved quickly to investigate, respond, and confirm the security of our systems. Specifically, Access Sports disconnected all access to our network, changed administrative credentials, restored operations in a safe and secure mode, enhanced the security measures, and took steps and will continue to take steps to mitigate the risk of future harm.
Further, we value the safety of personal information and are providing impacted individuals with access to Credit Monitoring services at no charge. These services provide individuals with alerts for at least 12 months from the date of enrollment when changes occur to their credit files. This notification is sent to impacted individuals the same day that the change or update takes place with the credit bureau. In addition, we are providing impacted individuals with proactive fraud assistance to help with any questions, or in the event their identity is compromised. These services will be provided by Cyberscout.
How Will Individuals Know If They Are Affected By This Incident? Access Sports mailed notice letters to individuals whose information was determined to be in the affected files, for whom a valid mailing address is available. If an individual does not receive a letter but would like to know if they are affected, they may call our dedicated assistance line, detailed below.
Whom Should Individuals Contact For More Information? If individuals have questions or would like additional information, they may call Access Sports’ dedicated assistance line at 1-833-531-2016. Representatives are available between the hours of 8:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Access Sports encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements, explanation of benefits forms, and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors.
We encourage impacted individuals to take full advantage of this service offering. Call center representatives have been fully versed on the incident and can answer questions or concerns you may have regarding protection of your personal information.
Below is additional information regarding the resources available to impacted individuals, and the steps that they can take to further protect their personal information.
Additional Information
Credit Reports: You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, whether or not you suspect any unauthorized activity on your account. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. To order your free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. You can also order your annual free credit report by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form (available at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.
Security Freeze: You also have the right to place a security freeze on your credit report. A security freeze is intended to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you need to make a request to each consumer reporting agency. You may make that request by certified mail, overnight mail, regular stamped mail, or by following the instructions found at the websites listed below. The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze (note that if you are requesting a credit report for your spouse or a minor under the age of 16, this information must be provided for him/her as well): (1) full name, with middle initial and any suffixes; (2) Social Security number; (3) date of birth; (4) current address and any previous addresses for the past five years; and (5) any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The request must also include a copy of a government-issued identification card and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. It is essential that each copy be legible, display your name and current mailing address, and the date of issue. As of September 21, 2018, it is free to place, lift, or remove a security freeze. You may also place a security freeze for children under the age of 16. You may obtain a free security freeze by contacting any one or more of the following national consumer reporting agencies:
Fraud Alerts: You can place fraud alerts with the three credit bureaus by phone and online with:
• Equifax (https://assets.equifax.com/assets/personal/Fraud_Alert_Request_Form.pdf);
• TransUnion (https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts); or
• Experian (https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html).
A fraud alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures, including contacting you, before they open any new accounts or change your existing accounts. For that reason, placing a fraud alert can protect you, but also may delay you when you seek to obtain credit. As of September 21, 2018, initial fraud alerts last for one year. Victims of identity theft can also get an extended fraud alert for seven years. The phone numbers for all three credit bureaus are at listed above.
Monitoring: You should always remain vigilant and monitor your accounts for suspicious or unusual activity.
File Police Report: You have the right to file or obtain a police report if you experience identity fraud. Please note that in order to file a crime report or incident report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide proof that you have been a victim. A police report is often required to dispute fraudulent items. You can generally report suspected incidents of identity theft to local law enforcement or to the Attorney General.
FTC and Attorneys General: 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. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.
For Arizona residents, the Attorney General may be contacted at the Consumer Protection & Advocacy Section, 2005 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, 1-602-542-5025.
For Colorado residents, the Attorney General may be contacted through Consumer Protection 1300 Broadway, 9th Floor, Denver, CO 80203 1-720-508-6000, www.coag.gov.
For District of Columbia residents, the Attorney General may be contacted at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, 441 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001, 1-202-727-3400, www.oag.dc.gov.
For Illinois residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601; 1-866-999-5630; www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.
For Iowa residents, you can report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement or to the Attorney General.
For Massachusetts residents, it is required by state law that you are informed of your right to obtain a police report filed in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.
For Maryland residents, you may also may also wish to review information provided by the Maryland Attorney General on how to avoid identity theft at https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IdentityTheft/default.aspx, or by sending an email to idtheft@oag.state.md.us, or calling 410-576-6491.
For New Mexico residents, state law advises you to review personal account statements and credit reports, as applicable, to detect errors resulting from the security breach. You also have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violators. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act at www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.
For New York residents, you may contact and obtain information from these state agencies: New York Department of State Division of Consumer Protection, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12231-0001, 518-474-8583 / 1-800-697-1220, http://www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection; and New York State Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341, 1-800-771-7755, https://ag.ny.gov
For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6400, and www.ncdoj.gov. You may also obtain information about steps you can take to prevent identify theft from the North Carolina Attorney General at https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/protecting-your-identity/protect-yourself-from-id-theft/.
For Oregon residents, state law advises you to report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement, including the Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission.
For Rhode Island residents, this incident involves 82 individuals in Rhode Island. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to file and obtain a copy of a police report. You also have the right to request a security freeze, as described above. You may contact and obtain information from your state attorney general at: Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, 1-401-274-4400, www.riag.ri.gov.
For Vermont residents, you do not have internet access but would like to learn more about how to place a security freeze on your credit report, contact the Vermont Attorney General’s Office at 802-656-3183 (800-649-2424 toll free in Vermont only).