In the aftermath of a data breach at Saber Healthcare Group’s facilities in late July, the Ohio-based nursing home provider worked with outside cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident, while taking additional steps to strengthen its security systems.
Saber Healthcare learned of a cybersecurity incident on July 27 in which private records of residents may have been compromised, but the situation has since been fully resolved.
“Within just hours of learning of the incident, our internal systems were back online and operating without issue,” Zach Shamberg, chief of government affairs at Saber Healthcare Group told Skilled Nursing News.
During the cyberattack, residents continued to receive high-quality care during the brief interruption, he said.
“The type of information that was exposed varies by individual, but may include their name and one or more of the following: date of birth, driver’s license/state issued identification number, health insurance information, medical information, financial account information, passport number, and/or Social Security number,” a statement posted on the company’s website states, Shamberg shared.
The information potentially impacted may vary for each individual, and may include all, or just one of these types of information, the statement further reads.
As part of its response, Saber reset account credentials across the organization and strengthened password requirements. The company also worked with outside experts to review and monitor its email system, deployed extended detection and response security software across network devices, and engaged a security operations center to provide 24/7 network monitoring, Shamberg said.
Improving data hygiene practices, reviewing security policies, procedures and controls, and adding monitoring and detection capabilities as needed all remain ongoing goals at Saber to prevent such a cyberattack from happening again, he said.
Cybersecurity incidents are becoming increasingly common across the health care industry and no organization is immune to potential cyber threats, Shamber said, encouraging health care organizations to remain vigilant and continuously monitor for suspicious activity.
“We are committed to investing in cybersecurity and protective measures, but here’s the truth: security safeguards and controls are never truly complete, and no organization has unlimited financial or human resources to prevent every threat actor from gaining access,” he said.
Saber Healthcare is one of the largest long-term care organizations in the country, with more than 160 affiliated facilities across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina.
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