Some 56,000 emergency medical technicians were advised the week of October 25 that a hacker may have gained access to personal information about them contained in a Louisiana licensing database. The Louisiana State Department of Health and Hospitals sent letters to the technicians, notifying them of the September 17 incident. The Federal Trade Commission recommends that consumers whose personal information may have been compromised take steps to detect or prevent its misuse,” the letter advised. A department of health and hospitals spokeswoman said bureau of emergency medical services personnel discovered the database breach. The unauthorized entry gave the hacker access to an individual’s name and personal information, including Social Security numbers. A computer screen displayed the message “You have been hacked,” the spokeswoman said. “Although we have no indication information was actually released, we know it was accessed,” said DHH’s deputy secretary.

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