WHITTIER, Calif. – Officials announced March 26 that around 5,000 past and current employees at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital had their personal information stolen.
In addition to the 5,000 hospital employees, 35,000 people from 18 other companies had their personal information stolen from a desktop computer located at a Fullerton, Calif., data management group Feb. 11. The information included full names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and other records.
Lon Orey, the hospital’s human resources vice president, said the employees will receive a free one-year subscription to LifeLock, a group that tracks the user information and protects it from illegal use.
More than a month after the security breach, a letter was sent to employees March 13 informing them that their information had been compromised.
On March 7, police arrested Todd Irvine for theft after they traced the stolen desktop to his residence through an IP address. Police also found other stolen computers and equipment. Irvine has been arraigned and is still in custody.
The hospital is contemplating whether to extend the benefits of LifeLock to last more than a year. As a precaution, the hospital is also considering giving coverage to the current 3,000 employees.
