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ALHAMBRA (CNS) - Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center, which serves people with developmental disabilities, notified clients of a data security breach and is working with outside cybersecurity specialists to enhance security measures, officials said.
ELARC, one of 21 regional centers within California, coordinates and provides community-based services to individuals with developmental disabilities within the eastern and northeastern portions of Los Angeles County, regardless of citizenship and legal status.
ELARC says it identified suspicious activity related to one employee email account on July 15 and “took swift action to secure its email system and network,'' then launched an internal investigation and hired independent cybersecurity specialists.
According to a center statement, ELARC confirmed on Aug. 11 that one employee email account was subject to unauthorized access for a limited period of time on July 15.
“ELARC continues to work with the outside cybersecurity specialists to determine whether the impacted account contained sensitive information and to whom such information belongs,'' according to the statement.
“While ELARC's investigation remains ongoing, the information believed to be present within the affected account includes one or more of the following data elements: consumer first and last name, Social Security number, ELARC-issued unique client identifier number, Tax ID number, information regarding consumer medical history, treatment or diagnosis, and/or health insurance information.''
According to the statement, ELARC officials are “not aware of any evidence to suggest that any information was subject to actual or attempted misuse. Rather, ELARC confirmed that the account was subject to unauthorized access and provided notification in an abundance of caution.''
In addition to sending notification letters to potentially impacted individuals, the center is offering them access to complimentary identity monitoring and protection services.
ELARC has also established a dedicated assistance line which can be reached at 1-855-651-2690 on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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