2024 Data Security Incident
Notice of Data Security Incident
We want to inform you about a recent data security incident that may have involved some of your personal information. Protecting your privacy and safeguarding your data is a top priority for us.
This page provides details about the incident, the steps we’ve taken in response, and guidance on how you can protect your personal information moving forward.
What happened?
On January 31, 2025, Asheville Eye Associates (AEA) notified individuals that it had detected and stopped a network security incident. An unauthorized party gained access to our network and acquired certain files from our systems. We quickly engaged third-party specialists to assist us with securing the network environment and investigating the incident. Since that time, AEA has completed a comprehensive review and investigation of the potentially affected records and systems. Through that subsequent investigation, which concluded on April 14, 2025, we identified additional individuals whose personal information was contained in the affected records.
What information was involved?
The impacted information varies by individual, and may have included: name, address, Social Security Number, medical treatment information, and health insurance information. As of this writing, we have not received any reports of identity theft related to this incident.
What we are doing:
Upon becoming aware of the incident, we promptly began taking steps to secure our systems. We also worked with third-party forensic specialists to investigate the incident and reported the incident to law enforcement. In addition, we have implemented measures to further enhance the security of our network environment. In response to the incident, we are notifying those individuals whose information was affected and providing access to free credit monitoring services for those individuals whose social security numbers were impacted.
What you can do:
Please review the “Additional Resources”. This section describes additional steps you can take to help protect yourself, including recommendations by the Federal Trade Commission regarding identity theft protection and details on how to place a fraud alert or a security freeze on your credit file. Again, at this time, there is no evidence that your information has been misused.
For more information:
Please call us at 1-828-210-2698 with any additional questions you may have.
AEA values the privacy and importance of your personal data, and we apologize for any inconvenience or concern that this incident has caused.
Sincerely,
Asheville Eye Associates
