ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A spokesperson for the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Clinic confirmed clinic leaders are investigating an anonymous hacker group’s claim that 10,000 patient records — including information such as addresses, social security numbers, driver’s licenses and insurance information — has been leaked onto the internet.
In a statement Thursday, ANHC Director of Communications Ahliil Saitanan said the center is “actively investigating this matter with the support of law enforcement and national cybersecurity experts.”
“In the meantime, please avoid engaging with or amplifying unsolicited messages or materials that may be circulating from unauthorized parties,” Saitanan previously said when Alaska’s News Source first asked about the claims Tuesday.
An ANHC patient who appeared on the list — requesting to be referred to as “Elizabeth” out of fear of more people accessing her personal information — told Alaska’s News Source the hackers had contacted her with her sensitive information. Elizabeth shared a letter she said ANHC sent her confirming there “may” have been a data breach.
“We are writing to inform you of a recent data security incident involving ANHC,” the email, addressed by ANHC Director of Risk Management and Compliance Melissa Pearl, said Tuesday. “While our investigation is ongoing, we wanted to ensure you that ANHC is committed to taking every possible step to protect those affected.
“We recently discovered that an unauthorized third party may have accessed certain systems within our network. Although the forensic investigation is still in its early stages, we have learned that this unauthorized party has directly contacted certain patients, and those email communications may have contained personal information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers. Please do not respond to or engage with any emails you may have received from the unauthorized party.”
Saitanan said ANHC could not confirm the letter’s authenticity on Thursday.
On Tuesday, ANHC posted to its Facebook page that it was “experiencing limited computer access due to technical difficulties.”
Its website also says its phone lines have been down since Aug. 22.
Elizabeth said the hacker group personally emailed her with her social security number, mailing address, phone number and email address.
“My information is clearly compromised,” Elizabeth told Alaska’s News Source. “Whoever has access to my information clearly knows that I go to Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, which lends some credence to the idea that is where the data breach [is].”
An FBI spokesperson told Alaska’s News Source Tuesday — per their policy — they could neither confirm nor deny whether they were investigating.
“As a matter of longstanding DOJ policy, the FBI can neither confirm nor deny the existence of investigations, or otherwise provide status updates on investigations, unless if and until charges are filed,” FBI Anchorage Public Affairs Officer Chloe Martin said in a statement.
The Anchorage Police Department has not responded to multiple attempts seeking comment.
A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Health said Wednesday that she was unaware of the alleged leak.
A spokesperson for Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said Wednesday the ANHC was not related to the Municipality of Anchorage, but that they had not heard of an alleged leak.
The ANHC is a federally qualified health center which has provided primary health care services since 1974, according to its website. A federally qualified health center is eligible for funding under the Public Health Service Act and qualifies for “enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid,” according to the Federally Qualified Healthcare Center Associates. They also “serve an underserved area or population.”
“As a community health center, our mission is to provide accessible, high-quality care for all, and we remain committed to protecting our patients and supporting the health of the Anchorage community,” center leaders write on their webpage.
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