Nova Biomedical Reports Data Breach Affecting More Than 10,000 People

Massachusetts-based Nova Biomedical reported that a data security incident it experienced last year compromised the sensitive personal information of more than 10,000 individuals.

 

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Nova Biomedical is a leading privately held in vitro diagnostics company that develops and manufactures advanced blood-testing analysers for hospital, veterinary, and biotechnology applications, with a focus on critical care, blood gas, and cell culture monitoring.

 

In a data security incident notice filed with the Office of Maine Attorney General, Nova Biomedical said that on December 18, it detected unauthorised access within its internal network. The company immediately launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the nature and scope of the incident. 

 

It took immediate action to secure the affected network, and notified relevant law enforcement authorities about the incident.

 

“Nova’s investigation determined that an unauthorised actor accessed Nova’s electronic infrastructure and deployed malware. Our investigation included a thorough review and analysis of impacted data on our systems. Through our investigation, Nova has determined that your personally identifiable information may have been impacted. We are notifying you to provide information and steps you can take to help protect your information,” the company said.

 

The compromised data included names and other personal identifiers including Social Security Numbers.The filing with the Maine state regulator’s office also states that Nova Biomedical has identified 10,764 individuals affected by the incident.

 

The company has advised all affected individuals to regularly monitor their credit reports, account and benefit statements and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities, including the police and the state attorney general. 

 

It has also offered complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services through Experian IdentityWorks to all affected individuals.