Family services agency suffered data breach

A data breach of an agency that contracts with the County of Sonoma to provide family services to residents could have affected up to 1,364 local clients, according to the County of Sonoma.

Seneca Family of Agencies is offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to all county clients whose personal data may have been exposed during a breach of the contractor’s network last summer.

Seneca provides mental health, counseling and family engagement services for the county Human Services Department, Health Services Department and Probation Department.

Seneca is sending notification letters to county clients this week disclosing the scope of an August 2021 ransomware attack and outlining protective measures available to clients.

The type of information that may have been exposed on its network includes name, Social Security number, address, phone number, email address, medical record number, diagnosis/treatment information, health insurance information, Medicare/Medicaid number, provider name, prescription information, driver’s license/state identification number and digital signature, according to a press release from the County of Sonoma.

No County of Sonoma computer systems were attacked or compromised during the incident. The county took immediate action to secure clients’ data when it was notified of the breach, according to County officials.

There is no evidence that clients’ personal data has been misused as a result of the breach, but as a precaution Seneca is notifying county clients whose data was stored on its network. More information about the data breach is available at senecafoa.org.

Seneca is providing potentially impacted individuals with 12 months of free credit monitoring and identity protection services. To enroll, call 855-675-2841 Monday through Friday (except U.S. holidays), from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Clients may also write to Seneca at 8945 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605.