Framingham Heart Study Breach Webinar
Letter to the Participant’s concerning the breach
Steps to take to reduce your risk of identity theft
FHS Data Breach Webinar 2-4-25 – Transcript Link
Webinar FAQs ⬇
Who did it?
We are unable to identify the actor(s) that committed this breach.
When did letters go out/ were they snail mail or email?
We do not have an email address for many FHS study participants, so we chose to notify everyone in writing.
Paper letters were mailed on December 12th, 2024.
Was my SSN involved ?
If your SSN was included, it would be indicated on your notification letter. If you did not receive a letter, or are still uncertain, please contact Maureen Valentino directly at 508-935-3417 or via email at fhs@bu.edu.
Credit Monitoring
If you are among the 106 participants with a SSN included, we are offering 24 months of free credit monitoring. Please see your notification letter for instructions or contact Maureen Valentino directly at 508-935-3417 or via email at fhs@bu.edu.
We’ll also include the general statement that was in the webinar that everyone should remain vigilant – monitor bank and credit card statements etc.
What could be done with this information? How can my health data be used against me? What can health insurance companies do with these records?
Most of the material included in the breach were research data files that are linked only to a research ID numbers, not to your personal information. But if any of your health information could be linked to you personally, the law prohibits insurers from using pre-existing health conditions to make coverage decisions. And in fact, your insurance company may have far more data on your health status from your clinical encounters in the health system than was compromised in this attack.
Contact information : For any additional questions, please contact Maureen Valentino directly at 508-935-3417 or via email at fhs@bu.edu.