The company that runs Fairbanks Memorial Hospital has suffered a cyber-attack. Banner Health reports that the hack potentially compromises financial and personal information of over 3 point 7 million patients, other customers and staff in 7 states where it operates.
Arizona based Banner says it discovered July 7th, that a computer system handling payment card data for food and beverage outlets at some of its over thirty facilities nationwide, had been hacked. It says cards used between June 23rd and July 7th may have been affected.
A week later, Banner says it learned that the cyber attackers may also have gotten patient, and provider information, including social security numbers.
The company says it worked to beef up security, and contacted payment card companies to heighten monitoring for fraudulent charges. Banner is offering free one subscriptions to in monitoring services to those effected by the system breach. Food and beverage customers are urged to watch for and report unauthorized charges. Patients are advised to scan health insurance statements for false charges.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
