Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File
Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum address the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. Crum on Thursday discussed a cyberattack that had compromised Alaskans’ information. Crum said because of an ongoing criminal investigation the entity responsible for the attack and the exact information compromised could not be revealed. Free credit monitoring will be offered to eligible Alaskans following the announcement of the cyberattack. DHSS is one of several state departments to have cybersecurity breaches in the past year.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum address the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. Crum on Thursday discussed a cyberattack that had compromised Alaskans’ information. Crum said because of an ongoing criminal investigation the entity responsible for the attack and the exact information compromised could not be revealed. Free credit monitoring will be offered to eligible Alaskans following the announcement of the cyberattack. DHSS is one of several state departments to have cybersecurity breaches in the past year.

State offers free credit monitoring following data breach

Health department information accessed, state says

Free credit monitoring services will be made available to Alaskans starting Sept. 27, following a cyberattack on the Department of Health and Social Services. Authorities said the attack is believed to have breached databases containing residents’ protected information.

Because of an ongoing criminal investigation, exact details of who’s behind the attack and exactly what information was accessed is not being shared at this time,DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum said Thursday in a news conference. However, DHSS said databases accessed contained information protected under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Alaska Personal Information Protection Act. Federal law requires Alaskans be notified that their information may have been compromised.

Crum said at the news conference that beginning Sept. 27 emails with instructions on how to apply for free credit monitoring would be sent to Alaskans who’ve submitted Alaska Permanent Fund dividend applications. In a statement, the department said that same day a toll-free phone number would set up to help Alaskans with their applications between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“It is a fair statement to say that any Alaskan could have been compromised by this,” Crum said.

[113,000 Alaskan voter IDs exposed in data breach]

DHSS said the breach was conducted by a highly sophisticated, state-sponsored entity and has retained the services of cybersecurity companies FireEye and Mandiant. According to DHSS, FireEye said the attacker was “a highly sophisticated group known to conduct complex cyberattacks against organizations that include state governments and health care entities.”

At several points in the news conference, Crum said he could not answer certain questions about the identity of the attacker, and cited the ongoing criminal investigation. An FAQ provided by DHSS refers to the attacker as “nation-state sponsored.”

Crum did say cybersecurity experts believe the attack is no longer ongoing and that the attacker has been removed from DHSS systems. However, DHSS was forced to shut down its databases and revert to manual input of information, Crum said, which has been very time consuming for staff.

Some DHSS databases have been restored, but the shutdown has led to large backlogs of requests for various vital records such as birth certificates and marriage certificates.

The breach was originally announced in May when DHSS took many of its systems offline. DHSS is not the only state department to be the victim of a malware attack. Also in May, then-Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court Joel Bolger announced the court was a victim of a cybersecurity attack.

In December 2020, the Alaska Division of Elections announced it had been attacked and that potentially 113,000 Alaskans’ voter information was exposed.

Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.

More in News

Evan Frisk calls for full-time staffing of the Central Emergency Services’ Kasilof station during a meeting of the CES Joint Operational Service Area Board on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at Soldotna Prep School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kasilof residents ask for full staffing at fire station

Public testimony centered repeatedly on the possible wait times for an ambulance

The southbound lane of Homer Spit Road, which was damaged by the Nov. 16 storm surge, is temporarily repaired with gravel and reopened on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Homer’s Spit road reopened to 2 lanes

Repairs and reinforcement against erosion will continue through December

The under-construction Soldotna Field House stands in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘We’re really moving along’

Officials give field house updates at Soldotna City Council meeting

Kenai Civil Air Patrol Cadet Elodi Frisk delivers Thanksgiving meals to seniors during the Hilcorp Areawide Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon in the Kenai Senior Center banquet hall in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Giving thanks together

Seniors gather for annual Hilcorp Areawide Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon

Shrubs grow outside of the Kenai Courthouse on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man indicted for 3 shootings at Homer family planning clinic, recovery center

The grand jury returned 12 counts total for the three shootings

The entrance to the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is barricaded on Overland Avenue in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Citing dangerous drivers, Kenai closes one entrance to visitor’s center

The barricade will be removed temporarily on Friday for Christmas Comes to Kenai festivities

A Kenai Peninsula Food Bank truck in the Food Bank parking lot on Aug. 4, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Food bank seeks turkey donations as Thanksgiving nears

The local food bank is calling for donations of $25 to “Adopt-A-Turkey” for a local family in need

Seward City Hall is seen under cloudy skies in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward budget hearing covers bed tax, wages, emergency medical services

The Seward City Council on Nov. 12 considered a series of legislative items connected to 2025 and 2026 budget

The results of ranked choice tabulation show Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, winning reelection in the race for Senate District D. (Screenshot/Gavel Alaska)
Bjorkman, Vance win reelection after tabulation of ranked choice ballots

An effort to repeal ranked choice voting and the open primary system was very narrowly defeated

Most Read