Stephen Fletcher, executive director of the Utah Dept. of Technology Services (DTS), has resigned from his post as a result of a hacker accessing the medical information of 780,000 Medicaid recipients within the state. The announcement was made by Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, who also outlined the State's response to the recent health and Medicaid data breach.
The response, Herbert said, included a full-scale, independent audit of technology security systems, the appointment of a new health data security ombudsman, investigation by law enforcement, and personnel action. Mark VanOrden has been appointed acting director of DTS, following the resignation of Fletcher.
"The State of Utah must restore the trust placed in it. Cyber-security is the modern battlefront and we are all enlisted-you, me, our state agencies, the Legislature-all of us have a critical role to play," Herbert said at a conference.
Herbert also appointed Sheila Walsh-McDonald as the new Health Data Security Ombudman. Walsh-McDonald will oversee individual case management, credit counseling and public outreach.
The Governor urged impacted individuals and families to contact the Utah Dept. of Health hotline with any questions, while offering free credit monitoring. He also cautioned citizens to beware of scammers and those who prey on the vulnerable and ill-informed.
The information accessed from the hack included birth dates, addresses, and for 280,000 individuals, social security numbers.
