VPN Solutions Data Incident
Informational Website

NOTICE OF DATA EVENT

ABOUT THE DATA EVENT

On or about November 1, 2021, VPN Solutions, a third-party hosting solution provider, notified medical practices and providers in Virginia, including Fredericksburg Foot and Ankle Center, Leelamma George, MD, Haymarket Pediatrics, Pediatrics & Adolescent Health Partners, Pediatric Partners of Virginia, LLC, Capital Foot Care, NOVA Cardiovascular Care, and Williamsburg Square Family Practice, Virginia Foot & Ankle Center, PC,  and in Ohio, including Kaplansky Foot and Ankle (collectively, the “Providers”) about an incident at VPN Solutions that may affect the privacy of certain information housed in the VPN Solutions systems. The Providers are providing notice of the incident so potentially affected individuals may take steps to better protect their personal information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Happened?  On or about November 1, 2021, VPN Solutions notified the Providers that malware encrypted certain data housed in portions of the VPN Solutions servers. Independent investigations into the nature and scope of the incident promptly followed and included communications with VPN Solutions. Those investigations confirmed that the incident impacted only VPN Solutions systems. VPN Solutions reported that the encryption process rendered certain data, including certain protected health information, unavailable to medical practices, providers, and patients.  To date, VPN has not reported to the Providers whether such data likewise was subject to unauthorized access as a result of the incident.  VPN Solutions advises that it continues efforts to restore availability of impacted data and to understand the full impact of the incident. While those efforts remain underway, the Providers seek to notify their patients that the incident occurred, patient records are unavailable as a result of the VPN Solutions’ incident, and the Providers are working diligently to understand the impact of that incident.

What Information Was Involved? Although no confirmation that patient data was compromised has been communicated, the information potentially at risk as a result of the incident varies by individual and may include the following types of information:  Name, address, date of birth, personal identification information, health insurance information, medical treatment/diagnosis information, and financial account information.

What is Your Medical Provider Doing?  Information security remains one of the highest priorities for the Providers. Each practice and provider identified in this notice is evaluating its existing policies, procedures, and processes, including those with their third-party vendors, to determine whether additional measures are appropriate in an effort to reduce the likelihood of a similar future incident. Relevant regulatory authorities will receive notice, as required.

What You Can Do?  As your Providers, we encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and explanation of benefits and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity. You may also review and consider the information and resources outlined in the below “Steps Individuals Can Take to Help Protect Their Personal Information.”

For More Information. As your Providers, we want to assure you that we take the responsibility to safeguard personal information very seriously.  We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may have caused you. We understand that you may have questions that are not addressed in this notice. Should you have questions regarding this incident, you may call a dedicated assistance line at 1-833-676-2239 , which is available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Should you have questions about your personal health information or the provision of medical services, you should contact your medical practices and providers directly.

Steps Individuals Can Take to Help Protect Their Personal Information

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a one-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial, as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim.  Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

Additional Resources

• Fraud Alerts

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• On request, any of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies can place a free fraud alert in your file to alert potential creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft; a fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you.

  A fraud alert will help prevent someone from opening new accounts in your name. As soon as one credit reporting bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are automatically notified to place fraud alerts as well. All three bureaus will mail you a confirmation letter and you will be able to order complimentary credit reports for your review.

  The easiest way to place an alert is by visiting www.transunion.com or https://fraud.transunion.com/fa/fraudAlert.

  You will answer some questions to confirm your identity, and then a 90-day fraud alert will be added to your credit file. TransUnion will give you access to view your report online. You should examine it carefully for accuracy. TransUnion will also share this information with Equifax and Experian who will both mail you confirmation letters containing a number to call to order complimentary copies of your credit reports for review.

  To contact one of the credit reporting bureaus, please see below:

  Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
  PO Box 740260
  Atlanta, GA 30374

  Experian: 1-888-397-3742
  PO Box 9554
  Allen, TX 75013

  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
  PO Box 2000
  Chester, PA 19016

  It is only necessary to contact one of these bureaus and use one of these methods.

  You will not be charged for this service. Please note placing a fraud alert may delay your ability to open new lines of credit quickly.

• Annual Credit Report

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• You can order a copy of your credit report, for free, once a year from each credit reporting bureau.  You can obtain a free credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.

• Review Your Credit Report

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• When you receive any credit report, you should review it carefully.  Look for accounts you did not open.  Look for inquiries from creditors that you did not initiate.  Look for personal information, such as home address, employment or Social Security numbers, that are not accurate.  If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit reporting bureau at the telephone number on the report.

  If your credit report indicates fraud or identity theft, call your local police or sheriff’s office and file a report of identity theft.  Get a copy of the police report.  You may need to give copies of the police report to creditors to clear up your records.

• For More information

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• Should you wish to learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338. The FTC website, www.consumer.ftc.gov, also offers additional information on identity theft that you may find helpful.

• Security Freezes

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• The security freeze (or credit freeze) is an option best reserved for people who have experienced extreme identity theft. Because the freeze essentially locks down your credit, it is not a good option for people who are simply seeking extra protection for their credit. We feel that credit monitoring, fraud alerts, and victim restoration services are more than sufficient options for defense against identity theft.

  A security freeze will not prevent you from enrolling in our services. You can certainly sign up with us and do not need to lift the freeze to do so. The reason for this is because we do not request your Social Security number to enroll—only name, address, phone, and email. None of these items would necessitate a credit inquiry. However, a security freeze will affect your ability to activate the monitoring portion of your membership. To activate the monitoring portion you will need to temporarily lift your security freeze.

  To learn more about security freezes and relevant state laws, contact your State Attorney General’s office or visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website for credit freeze information.

  
  Please note that you must have an established credit file and credit history to place a fraud alert, a credit freeze or utilize www.annualcreditreport.com.