APhA website is back online

The American Pharmacists Association’s (APhA) website, www.pharmacist.com, is back online. The organization learned that their computer servers were accessed by an unauthorized person or persons on the evening of May 28, according to a document on the website. As soon as the information was received, APhA shut down the site to protect users and the content.

"Attacks and intrusions on websites are a daily occurrence in cyberspace. Organizations of all types are targeted, and some very prominent sites have been 'hacked' in recent years," said Michelle Fritts, spokesperson for APhA. "Unfortunately, the nature of this investigation limits what we can say about the incident itself. We are still in the early parts of the investigation and our actions will be guided by what the investigation uncovers and by suggestions from experts in legal and forensic investigation, as well as law enforcement."

Law enforcement was immediately contacted when the breach of security occurred, and a forensic cybersecurity team was engaged to conduct an aggressive investigation. A plan of action was implemented to prevent further data access, and communications with members and key stakeholders began, APhA said in the document.

APhA has since learned that some information, including names and addresses (physical and email), was obtained by the hackers and posted on a file-sharing network, but, to date, no personally identifiable information, such as credit card data, has been accessed or used. They continue to monitor for this kind of activity and will react appropriately, notifying affected individuals if the investigation shows this information has been accessed.

Members should be on alert for any messages that claim to be from APhA and ask the user to re-enter sensitive information. APhA reminds members that they will never ask for personal information in an email, such as passwords, credit card or bank account numbers, or login credentials.

If you receive this type of message, or have additional questions, contact APhA at 202-558-2714 or through this email address: pharmacist.com@aphanet.org

APhA is also granting everyone access to its highly regarded online resource, DrugInfoLine, www.aphadruginfoline.com, in its entirety, until June 20 to show their appreciation to their loyal members and website visitors.