Radiology cyberattack exposes data from hundreds of thousands of patients in Washington
A radiology group in the northwest corner of the United States has informed hundreds of thousands of individuals that their personal data may have been exposed during a recent cyberattack.
This week, Bellingham, Washington-based Northwest Radiologists disclosed the details of the security breach to those who may have been affected. The incident happened in January of this year, with the attackers gaining access to the practice’s systems for five days before they were shut out.
“Upon discovery, we took immediate action to address and investigate the event, which included contacting law enforcement and engaging third-party specialists to assist with determining the nature and scope of the event,” a notice sent to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office reveals. “A thorough investigation determined that certain information stored on our network was subject to unauthorized access from January 20, 2025 to January 25, 2025.”
Northwest Radiologists says that around 350,000 individuals likely had their personal information exposed during the attack. According to the notice, the information compromised during the attack included any, or potentially all, of the following: financial and banking information, dates of birth, military ID numbers, health insurance and policy ID numbers, and private medical Information.
The practice has not yet disclosed details pertaining to the specific type of cyberattack, and no group has claimed responsibility for the breach. There is speculation that it was a ransomware attack, however.
Since learning of the incident, the practice says it has taken numerous steps to strengthen its security systems and implement additional safeguards to protect patients’ sensitive information. The company is offering affected patients identify protection services and free credit monitoring to ensure their information is not used maliciously but also is encouraging patients to be proactive in monitoring their credit reports and personal accounts.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.