Quest Diagnostics announcing investigation of third-party intrusion

Quest Diagnostics announced Monday that it is investigating an unauthorized third-party intrusion into an internet application on its network.

The company notified those whose accounts were affected.

According to the company, on November 26, 2016, an unauthorized third party gained access to the MyQuest by Care360 internet application and retrieved Protected Health Information of 34,000 individuals.

The data that was accessed included name, date of birth, lab results, and telephone numbers in some cases.

Not included were Social Security numbers, credit card information, insurance or other financial information.

Also, the company says that there is no indication that individuals' information was used improperly in any way.

"When Quest Diagnostics discovered the intrusion, it immediately addressed the vulnerability. Quest is taking steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, and is working with a leading cybersecurity firm to assist in investigating and further evaluating the company's systems. The investigation is ongoing and the unauthorized intrusion has been reported to law enforcement," the company said in a statement.

In addition to notifying affected individuals, Quest also has established a dedicated toll-free number for customers to call with questions. The number is (888) 320-9970, and can be reached Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. EST.