Cyber Incident Victim: Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest
Date:
Aug 2022
Location:
United States of America
Summary
The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest experienced unauthorized access to seven employee email accounts by a foreign-based third party over a two-day period. The breach exposed names, dates of birth, and non-sensitive treatment details for most of the affected individuals, while four people had Social Security numbers compromised. The organization detected the intrusion promptly, secured the accounts, and identified the specific accessed data. Credit monitoring was provided to those with exposed Social Security numbers. Following the incident, NARA NW enhanced security measures by restricting web-based email usage, blocking international access, and implementing multi-factor authentication for email accounts.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On August 31, 2022, unauthorized individuals outside the United States gained access to seven employee email accounts at the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA NW), a Portland, OR-based healthcare organization. The breach persisted until September 1, 2022, when suspicious activity was detected within NARA NW's email system. The organization immediately secured the compromised accounts to prevent further unauthorized access. A forensic review confirmed the foreign actor's activity during this two-day window and assessed the scope of exposed data. The investigation revealed that the breached email accounts contained patient information primarily consisting of names, dates of birth, and non-sensitive treatment details. Only four individuals among the 2,915 affected patients had their Social Security numbers exposed during the incident.
NARA NW's technology infrastructure enabled rapid identification of the specific emails and information accessed by the threat actor. The organization implemented additional security measures following the breach, including restrictions on web-based email usage, blocking of international access attempts, and deployment of multi-factor authentication for all email accounts. Notification procedures were initiated for all affected individuals, with the four patients whose Social Security numbers were compromised receiving offers for 12 months of complimentary credit monitoring services. The organization emphasized its preparedness for cyberattacks through existing security protocols that facilitated swift containment and analysis, though no further details regarding detection methods or attacker identification were disclosed in available reports.