City Community Services Center Notifies 38,000 People of Recent Data Breach | Console and Associates, PC

On October 11, 2024, the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) filed a data breach notification with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights after learning that an unauthorized user had been accessing the company’s computer network for several days . in September 2023. In this notice, CUCS explains that as a result of the incident, an unauthorized party gained access to confidential consumer information, which includes their names, addresses, social security numbers, phone numbers, dates of birth, benefit identification numbers, health information and prescription information. After the investigation was completed, CUCS began sending data breach letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you’ve received a data breach notification from the City Community Services Center, it’s important to understand what’s at stake and what you can do about it. A data breach attorney can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, and discuss your legal options after a City Community Service Center data breach. To learn more, check out our recent piece on this topic here.

What caused the data leak of the City Public Services Center?

The City Community Service Center data breach was recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, CUCS’s filing with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights contains some important information about what led to the breach. CUCS also posted a message on its website discussing the incident and the organization’s response.

According to these sources, on September 9, 2023, CUCS detected suspicious activity on its computer network. In response, CUCS launched an investigation with third-party cybersecurity experts to learn more about the incident and what consumer information, if any, was leaked.

Through this investigation, CUCS learned that an unauthorized party accessed its IT network between September 4, 2023 and September 10, 2023 and obtained personal information from CUCS systems during that period.

After learning that sensitive consumer data had been accessed by an unauthorized party, the city’s Community Services Center reviewed the breached files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were affected. CUCS recently completed this process, and while the information exposed varies by individual, it may include your name, address, social security number, telephone number, date of birth, benefit identification number, health information, and information about recipes In the letter, CUCS notes that the information concerned individuals receiving services through the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene and the New York City Department of Human Services.

On October 11, 2024, the Center for Urban Community Services submitted a notice to HHS-OCR. Typically around this time, companies also send personalized data breach letters to those affected by the breach. However, the timeline of the CUCS data breach may be different. Regardless, these letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them has been compromised.

More information about the Center for Municipal Services

Founded in 1983, the Center for City Community Services is an organization that provides mental health, medical and respite services to individuals on behalf of various organizations, including the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene and the New York City Department of Human Services . The city’s community service center employs more than 405 people and generates approximately $27 million in annual revenue.