Integrity House integrityhouse.org Integrity House data breach: what happened and what to do
Integrity House, a New Jersey addiction treatment provider, reported that stolen computers exposed data of 7,206 people. It included names, Social Security numbers, addresses and birth dates, plus insurance and limited treatment information.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 25 Nov 2018
- Made public
- 18 Jan 2019
- Affected
- 7,206
- Data exposed
- Names, Social security numbers, Physical addresses, Dates of birth, Health insurance information, Treatment information
- Last updated
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
What happened
Integrity, Inc., which operates as Integrity House, told the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that a number of desktop computers were stolen from its facilities. HHS lists 7,206 people as affected. According to HIPAA Journal, Integrity House discovered on 25 November 2018 that one of its offices had been burglarized, and its notice to patients is dated 18 January 2019.
Sources checked: ocrportal.hhs.gov, consumer.ftc.gov, identitytheft.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
HHS says the information included names, Social Security numbers, addresses and dates of birth. HIPAA Journal's coverage also lists health insurance information and limited treatment information.
Integrity House notified HHS, affected individuals and the media, and added physical safeguards after the theft.
Why it matters
This was a physical theft, not an online attack, and there's no public sign the data was used. Still, a name with a Social Security number and birth date is enough to try to open credit in your name. Because the provider treats addiction, the treatment details are especially personal.
If you got a notice, a credit freeze is the strongest step you can take.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus
A credit freeze stops lenders from seeing your report, which blocks most new accounts opened in your name. The FTC says it's free, lasts until you lift it, and you place it separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Lift it only when you apply for credit yourself.
- 2
Read your statements and insurance explanations of benefits
Look for charges, accounts or treatment you don't recognize. If something is wrong, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC's reporting site, which also builds a recovery plan for you.
- 3
Report anything that looks wrong
If you find an account or charge you didn't open, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC's reporting site, which creates a personal recovery plan.
- 4
Expect phishing that mentions the breach
Scammers use real details to sound legitimate. The FTC advises you not to click links or call numbers in unexpected messages; contact the organization using a number from its official website instead.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Serus runs a free scan against breach databases and the dark web and alerts you if your email or phone number shows up. Serus can't remove data from a breach, but it tells you when to change a password or watch for phishing.
Timeline
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The breach happened
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The company made it public
Frequently asked
How many people were affected?
HHS lists 7,206 people.
What was exposed?
Names, Social Security numbers, addresses and dates of birth per HHS, plus health insurance information and limited treatment information per the notice coverage.
Was the data accessed through hacking?
No. Per HHS, the cause was theft of desktop computers from Integrity House facilities.
Sources
- ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-credit-freezes-and-fraud-alerts
- identitytheft.gov/databreach
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
- hipaajournal.com/thieves-stole-devices-containing-phi-of-7200-patients-of-integrity-house/
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
