La Jolla Podiatrist's Email Account Hacked

LA JOLLA, CA – A La Jolla podiatrist's email account was hacked recently, but there was no evidence that patient information was maliciously viewed, transferred, or accessed, according to an announcement by the doctor's office.

Patients of Dr. Jay Berenter received an email from his office on Dec. 9, from his email address, but it was bogus, according to the doctor.

The email purported to be an email alerting patients that Berenter's office had a "DocuSign" document waiting for them to review, according to the announcement.

Berenter's office already has sent an email alerting his contacts to not open the email. The doctor's office secured its email account and hired forensic IT specialists, who determined that none of the doctor's other systems were affected, Berenter's office said.

Any information sent to or received from Berenter's office on drjsbdpm@gmail.com was potentially impacted, according to the press statement. This could include completed patient registration forms if emailed to them, prescription or lab requests, and the content of voice mail messages.

The office email recipient list, which potentially included contacts' first and last name, and contacts' email address may have been exposed, according to the doctor's statement.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock