Notice of Data Security Incident

Norton, MA – August 30, 2024 – The North Cottage Program (“NCP”) is notifying certain current and former residents that their personal information may have been accessed as part of cybersecurity incident. NCP takes the privacy and security of information in its possession very seriously and sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this incident may cause. This notice is intended to alert potentially impacted individuals of the incident, steps we are taking in response, and resources available to assist and protect individuals.
What Happened NCP experienced a network security incident that involved an unauthorized party gaining access to our network environment on May 16, 2024. Upon detecting the incident, we immediately shut off all access to the network and engaged a specialized third-party forensic incident response firm to assist with securing the network environment and investigating the extent of unauthorized activity. The forensic investigation determined that the unauthorized third party may have acquired certain data as a result of this incident. After conducting a comprehensive review of the data potentially impacted in this incident, which was completed on August 12, 2024, we determined that the unauthorized third party may have acquired certain personal information as a result of this incident. NCP is providing written notice to all impacted individuals. NCP has no reason to believe that any individual’s information has been misused as a result of this event. As of this writing, NCP has not received any reports of misuse of information and/or related identity theft since the date the incident was discovered (May 16, 2024 to present).
What Information Was Involved Again, we found no evidence that patient information has been specifically misused. However, the following information was potentially exposed to an unauthorized third party: first name, last name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, treatment plan, medication information, health insurance information, and provider notes. Notably, the types of information affected were different for each individual, and not every individual had all the above listed elements exposed.
What We Are Doing Data security is one of our highest priorities. Upon detecting this incident we moved quickly to initiate a response, which included conducting an investigation with the assistance of IT specialists and confirming the security of our network environment. We have also reviewed and enhanced our technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident.
The notification letter to the potentially impacted individuals includes steps that they can take to protect their information. In order to address any concerns and mitigate any exposure or risk of harm following this incident, NCP has arranged for complimentary credit monitoring services and identity theft protection services to all potentially impacted individuals at no cost to them for a period of twelve months. NCP recommends that individuals enroll in the services provided and follow the recommendations contained within the notification letter to ensure their information is protected.
For More Information For individuals seeking more information or questions about this incident, please call 1-800-952-0542, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, excluding holidays.
Thank you for entrusting NCP with your healthcare needs. We value the security of the personal data that we maintain, and understand the frustration, concern, and inconvenience that this incident may have caused. We look forward to continuing to provide high quality care to you, your family, and the NCP community.