Perry Johnson and Associates Data Breach May 2023

A trusted medical transcription service, Perry Johnson & Associates (PJ&A) offers written solutions for those in the medical field. Three weeks ago, Chicago’s Cook County Health announced they learned of a potential PJ&A data breach; the numbers are back, with more than 1.2 million people potentially exposed.

What Was the Breach?

• Full Name
• Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• Registered Address
• Medical Record Number
• Clinical Information
• Hospital Account Number
• Insurance Provider Information
• Admission Diagnosis
• Medications
• Date and Time of Services

How Did the Breach Occur?

Although PJ&A provided services to Cook County Health, the hackers accessed none of the CCH systems. Instead, PJ&A experienced the breach. An unauthorized actor entered the PJ&A systems, where they stored some patient data, subsequently exposing associated parties. There is still no further detail on how the assailants made the attack possible, but past breaches point to sophisticated hacking.

When Did This Breach Occur?

From around March 27th to May 2nd, 2023, an unauthorized party accessed the PJ&A systems. Around May 2nd, PJ&A learned of the breach and began to secure their systems. On May 22nd, PJ&A determined the attack may have involved consumer data and notified CCH. CCH then retroactively ended its relationship with PJ&A.

Who Does the Breach Impact?

PJ&A concluded their internal reviews and have determined the breach may have exposed more than 1.2 million people. The specific information in the breach varies between individuals, but signs point to patient victims.

How Many Files Does the Breach Affect?

Although we know the number of potential victims from the attack, the entire scope is not public. Patients in the Chicago area must take action to protect themselves, protect their internet privacy from breach breach. They should hire monitoring services, update passwords and make it stonger, and enable all multi-factor authentications.