ELGON, INC. PROVIDES NOTICE OF DATA INCIDENT

WORCESTER, Mass., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elgon, Inc.("Elgon") is notifying individuals of an event that may affect the privacy of some personal information. On July 22, 2023, Elgon began mailing written notices to potentially impacted individuals for whom it has contact information. Elgon also posted notice of this incident on its website at: https://response.idx.us/Elgon/.

On March 31, 2023, Elgon became aware that an unknown, unauthorized person illegally accessed a limited set of data that may have included protected health information. Elgon houses its data using secure third-party servers. In the attendant incident, the data was in the process of being migrated into even more secure servers when unauthorized access occurred.

Immediate steps were taken to ensure that the unauthorized person did not have continued access to the system, to ensure continued and secure availability of their software for their clients and additional layers of security were added out of an abundance of caution. An extensive investigation was then launched, aided by third party computer forensic specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the event. Through the investigation, it was determined that on March 31, 2023, an unknown actor gained access to a non-production system that contained very limited sets of data which can be analogized to a table of contents but may nonetheless have contained protected health information.

Although the investigation could not determine the specific content within the files due to the limited nature of the data that is contained in the system, at the time of the event, it is possible that the name, address, medical identification number, birth date and diagnosis code could have been stored within the impacted system.

The data accessed is not useful in any sense as the unauthorized person would have had to make extensive efforts to join many different data elements together, which Elgon's security systems would immediately detect and disallow.

To date, Elgon has no proof that the data was downloaded, and has not received reports of any fraudulent misuse of any information potentially impacted by the event.

Please note that no social security numbers or credit card information is stored within the Elgon system.

Elgon has reviewed current security processes and policies for enhancements and has added additional layers of security out of an abundance of caution.

Elgon encourages individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review their account statements, and to monitor their credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-­877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report.

Other Steps Individuals Can Take to Protect Personal Information

Individuals have the right to place a "security freeze" on their credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in their credit report without their express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in their name without their consent. However, individuals should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application individuals make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, individuals cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on their credit report. To place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies below:

In order to request a security freeze, individuals will need to provide the following information:

1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.);
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

As an alternative to a security freeze, individuals have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on their file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If an individual falls victim to identity theft, he or she is entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. To place a fraud alert, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies below:

Individuals can further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps they can take to protect themselves by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state's Attorney General.

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Individuals can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Individuals have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, individuals will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the individuals' state Attorney General.

SOURCE Elgon Information Systems