The confidentiality of our personal information, particularly medical information, is something we all hold dear. It is highly concerning when we learn that an institution that houses such information has been the victim of a cyberattack.
Unfortunately, as UCLA Health disclosed earlier today, no institution in today’s environment of constant cyberthreats and attacks is immune from this risk.
While at this time there is no evidence that the attacker actually viewed or acquired any individual’s personal information in the UCLA Health cyberattack, we cannot rule out that possibility. Additional security measures have been implemented, and all potentially impacted individuals can sign up for no-cost ID theft protection services.
We realize that a situation like this causes great concern for those who may be affected. We also realize that, at UCLA and throughout the UC system, we need to learn from this event and further strengthen our defenses.
Toward that end, UC President Janet Napolitano has mobilized an external cybersecurity group that will assess our security posture across the UC system. The team will review and validate ongoing internal efforts and assess emerging threats and potential vulnerabilities. The information from this external review will inform a broader UC-wide cybersecurity plan.
For more information about the UCLA attack, please visit www.uclahealth.org/data2015.