We are providing notice of a data incident involving Independent Vision Group LTD
(“Independent Vision”) that may have compromised certain individual’s personal information.
We take the privacy and protection of our patients’ information very seriously. This notice
contains information about what happened, steps we have taken, and the resources available to
those potentially affected.
On July 17, 2023, Independent Vision detected suspicious activity within its email environment.
Independent Vision immediately secured the email environment, and retained independent third-
party forensic specialists to assist in its investigation of this incident. The investigation
determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to one employee email account, and
may have accessed some files containing your personal information contained within that email
account, including first and last name, mailing address, first and last name, mailing address, date
of birth, social security number, driver’s license number, passport number, user ID and
password, financial account number, credit card number, and/or protected health information.
Notably, the types of information impacted was different for each individual, and not every
individual had all of these types of information impacted.
To date, there have not been any reports of related identity theft or misuse of any patient
information. However, out of an abundance of caution, Independent Vision mailed notification
letters to affected individuals. The letters included additional information about what occurred,
and outlined the specific personal information that could have been exposed for that individual.
Data security is among our highest priorities, and we are committed to doing everything we can
to protect the privacy and security of the personal information in our care. Given this, we have
taken and are continuing to take steps to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future by
implementing additional safeguards and enhanced security measures to better protect the privacy
and security of information in our systems. We have also reviewed and taken steps to enhance
our policies and procedures relating to the security of our systems and servers, as well as our
information life cycle management.
The notification letter to the potentially impacted individuals includes steps that they can take to
protect their information. In order to address any concerns and mitigate any exposure or risk of
harm following this incident, Independent Vision has arranged for complimentary credit
monitoring services and identity theft protection services to all potentially impacted individuals
at no cost to them. Independent Vision recommends that individuals enroll in the services
provided and follow the recommendations contained within the notification letter to ensure their
information is protected.
Please know that the protection and security of your personal information is of our outmost
priority. If you have any questions, please call Independent Vision’s dedicated toll-free helpline
at 1-833-603-9050, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding
major holidays.
Thank you for entrusting Independent Vision Group with your eye care needs. We value the
security of the personal data that we maintain, and understand the frustration, concern, and
inconvenience that this incident may have caused.