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The healthcare technology company Episource, owned by UnitedHealth Group’s Optum subsidiary, is at the center of a major data breach affecting more than 5.4 million individuals.

The cyberattack, which occurred between January 27 and February 6, was revealed in a recent filing with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (source).

As a provider of medical coding, risk adjustment, and analytics services, Episource handles large volumes of sensitive personal and medical data, making it a prime target for hackers.

What Was Stolen in the Episource Data Breach?

According to BleepingComputer, the hackers were able to both view and extract copies of personal data from Episource’s systems. The compromised data may include:

• Full names
• Physical and email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Dates of birth
• Medicaid ID and insurance plan details
• Medical record information

Thankfully, no banking or payment card data was exposed.

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How to Protect Yourself After the Breach

In its notice, Episource confirmed that 5,418,886 people are affected by this breach. Notification letters started going out in April, but additional filings in California and Vermont suggest even more people may be impacted (TechCrunch report).

Episource is offering free credit monitoring and identity restoration services through IDX to those affected. Details on how to enroll are included in physical letters sent by mail — not email — to impacted individuals.

• Freeze your credit to prevent fraud or identity theft.
• Be wary of emails or texts from unknown sources.
• Monitor all financial accounts for unauthorized activity.
• Use strong, memorable passwords (guide).
• Install and maintain trusted antivirus software (best options).

Industry Response and Ongoing Concerns

The breach is the latest in a string of attacks targeting healthcare providers, a trend that continues to put patient privacy and national medical infrastructure at risk.

Episource stated on its official website that it is reviewing its security protocols and working with cybersecurity experts to ensure such an incident doesn’t happen again.

As medical institutions become increasingly reliant on digital systems, cyber hygiene — both personal and organizational — is more important than ever.