East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging

On September 5, 2017, the covered entity's (CE) ransomware encrypted some of its files in its Microsoft Azure environment. The files contained the protected health information (PHI) of 8,000 individuals and included patients’ names, dates of birth, addresses, social security numbers, and Medicaid numbers. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals, and the media. To resolve the issues raised in this matter, the CE hired a cybersecurity company to investigate the breach and remove the ransomware. Additionally, the CE increased its security monitoring by purchasing cloud security software, changed all passwords, implemented a 90-day password change requirement, and changed its remote access procedure. The CE trained its employees on ransomware and robust passwords. OCR obtained documented assurances that the CE implemented these voluntary corrective actions.