Kanawha-Charleston Health Department warns 11,000
Technorati Tag: Security Breach
Date Reported:
1/21/09
Organization:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
Express Personnel Services
Location:
Charleston, West Virginia
Victims:
Patients receiving flu shots between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008
Number Affected:
"approximately 11,000"
Types of Data:
"names, address, Social Security, numbers, dates of birth, marital status, employment
information, insurance information and telephone numbers"
Breach Description:
"Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials today announced that a temporary worker who was assigned the task of performing medical billing for Department’s influenza shot campaign has been identified as a suspect in an identity theft crime that is currently under investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office."
Reference URL:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Press Release
The Charleston Gazette
Report Credit:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials today announced that a temporary worker who was assigned the task of performing medical billing for Department’s influenza shot campaign has been identified as a suspect in an identity theft crime that is currently under investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The worker, who is no longer with the Health Department, is accused of using patient data for the purpose of identity theft and to obtain credit and/or credit cards.
[Evan] Temporary workers pose a certain amount of additional risk to information security. Typically these workers' backgrounds are checked by the temp agency instead of the hiring company and there is a slight conflict of interest. The faster that a temp agency places a worker, the faster they get paid. Temporary workers that need access to sensitive information require increased scrutiny.
Jameelah Jossiah, 24, a former flu clinic medical billing clerk, was charged with computer fraud after allegedly making a $400 purchase at the South Charleston Wal-Mart with a credit card obtained illegally under the name of a woman who received a flu shot from the Health Department last fall.
Sheriff's Detective L.S. Deitz identified Jossiah after reviewing Wal-Mart surveillance video.
After searching Jossiah's home, Kanawha County Sheriff's Department detectives found a handwritten list of about 14 flu-shot recipients, including their names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and other personal information, Health Board President Brenda Isaac said Tuesday.
[Evan] Good police work.
"I don't believe [Jossiah] had the ability to copy down a lot of information because she was being closely supervised," Isaac said. "We feel this is limited, but we don't want to take any chances, so we're alerting all people who had flu shots."
[Evan] You can't monitor a crook closely enough at work.
The department hired her through Express Personnel Services, a temporary jobs agency in South Charleston, health officials said.
Isaac said Health Department administrators were told that Jossiah underwent a criminal background check through the temp agency, but it was unclear Tuesday why the check didn't flag Jossiah's previous arrest record.
[Evan] It's not a terrible idea to ask the temp agency to provide copies of background check information pertaining to temporary workers, is it?
Jossiah was arrested on trespassing and battery charges in 2007, according to Kanawha County Magistrate Court records.
Letters are being mailed to approximately 11,000 individuals that received their influenza shot from the Health Department between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
Information that may have been compromised includes names, address, Social Security, numbers, dates of birth, marital status, employment information, insurance information and telephone numbers.
Patients who may be affected by this incident will be notified by written correspondence to their last known address.
A call center has been established and will be operational, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning January 21st, to address questions relating to his incident. The call center’s telephone number is .
Isaac said the department would no longer require people who receive flu shots to provide Social Security numbers and other personal information that could be used as part of an identity theft scheme.
[Evan] Excellent idea! This addresses a primary concern. Why would a Social Security number ever be required to get a flu shot?
Also, future temporary workers at the Health Department won't have access to patients' medical information, Isaac said.
[Evan] Also a good idea. People requiring access to sensitive information should receive additional scrutiny and specialized training.
Commentary:
If you collect it, you must protect it.
Past Breaches:
Unknown
Date Reported:1/21/09
Organization:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Contractor/Consultant/Branch:
Express Personnel Services
Location:
Charleston, West Virginia
Victims:
Patients receiving flu shots between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008
Number Affected:
"approximately 11,000"
Types of Data:
"names, address, Social Security, numbers, dates of birth, marital status, employment
information, insurance information and telephone numbers"
Breach Description:
"Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials today announced that a temporary worker who was assigned the task of performing medical billing for Department’s influenza shot campaign has been identified as a suspect in an identity theft crime that is currently under investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office."
Reference URL:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Press Release
The Charleston Gazette
Report Credit:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Response:
From the online sources cited above:
Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials today announced that a temporary worker who was assigned the task of performing medical billing for Department’s influenza shot campaign has been identified as a suspect in an identity theft crime that is currently under investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The worker, who is no longer with the Health Department, is accused of using patient data for the purpose of identity theft and to obtain credit and/or credit cards.
[Evan] Temporary workers pose a certain amount of additional risk to information security. Typically these workers' backgrounds are checked by the temp agency instead of the hiring company and there is a slight conflict of interest. The faster that a temp agency places a worker, the faster they get paid. Temporary workers that need access to sensitive information require increased scrutiny.
Jameelah Jossiah, 24, a former flu clinic medical billing clerk, was charged with computer fraud after allegedly making a $400 purchase at the South Charleston Wal-Mart with a credit card obtained illegally under the name of a woman who received a flu shot from the Health Department last fall.
Sheriff's Detective L.S. Deitz identified Jossiah after reviewing Wal-Mart surveillance video.
After searching Jossiah's home, Kanawha County Sheriff's Department detectives found a handwritten list of about 14 flu-shot recipients, including their names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and other personal information, Health Board President Brenda Isaac said Tuesday.
[Evan] Good police work.
"I don't believe [Jossiah] had the ability to copy down a lot of information because she was being closely supervised," Isaac said. "We feel this is limited, but we don't want to take any chances, so we're alerting all people who had flu shots."
[Evan] You can't monitor a crook closely enough at work.
The department hired her through Express Personnel Services, a temporary jobs agency in South Charleston, health officials said.
Isaac said Health Department administrators were told that Jossiah underwent a criminal background check through the temp agency, but it was unclear Tuesday why the check didn't flag Jossiah's previous arrest record.
[Evan] It's not a terrible idea to ask the temp agency to provide copies of background check information pertaining to temporary workers, is it?
Jossiah was arrested on trespassing and battery charges in 2007, according to Kanawha County Magistrate Court records.
Letters are being mailed to approximately 11,000 individuals that received their influenza shot from the Health Department between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
Information that may have been compromised includes names, address, Social Security, numbers, dates of birth, marital status, employment information, insurance information and telephone numbers.
Patients who may be affected by this incident will be notified by written correspondence to their last known address.
A call center has been established and will be operational, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning January 21st, to address questions relating to his incident. The call center’s telephone number is .
Isaac said the department would no longer require people who receive flu shots to provide Social Security numbers and other personal information that could be used as part of an identity theft scheme.
[Evan] Excellent idea! This addresses a primary concern. Why would a Social Security number ever be required to get a flu shot?
Also, future temporary workers at the Health Department won't have access to patients' medical information, Isaac said.
[Evan] Also a good idea. People requiring access to sensitive information should receive additional scrutiny and specialized training.
Commentary:
If you collect it, you must protect it.
Past Breaches:
Unknown
Posted by Evan Francen at 1/23/2009 3:18 PM 
Categories: Employee Fraud, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Categories: Employee Fraud, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department
Posts Atom 1.0
1-25-09. This reminds of the now infamous brilliance of the TN Department of Corrections, who chose to use "non violent" felons convicted of ID theft to subcontract out as workers to a company to be employed as "workers handling credit card transactions". If I want a hen house guarded, of course I'm gonna' hire a fox if I am from Tennessee. By the way, pass me that mason jar of 'shine, I'm a might (actually "mite" for you Yankees) bit thirsty.
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My RSS feeds have been hitting me with about ten stories like this a week. Check out one of my blogs regarding a similar story here: http://blog.mylaptopgps.com/2009/01/23/national-health-service-disciplined-for-poor-laptop-security/. I think a slap on the wrist is the last thing NHS needs. Maybe a firm rap over the head with some data encryption software would be more appropriate, no?
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