RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Through a ransomware attack, personal and health-related information of an unknown number of Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) patients may have been accessed by "malicious actors." On Thursday, Dec. 4, RBHA officials issued a press release about a data security in cident that took place on or around Sept. 29. At that time, malicious actors gained access to RBHA's network and deployed ransomware, which encrypted portions of said network. RBHA first became aware of this incident on or around Sept. 30. Management, IT and third-party cybersecurity experts moved to respond as quickly as possible, per the release. "The malicious actors' network access was terminated as soon as it was detected," RBHA said in the release. According to officials, it is possible these actors accessed patients' information, such as their first name or their first initial and last name combined with a Social Security Number, their passport number, their financial account information or their health-related information. RBHA said it could not state just how many people may or may not have been impacted at this time. "There is no definitive evidence to delineate the scope of personal or health information that may have been accessed at this time," officials said in the release. "However, because an unknown actor gained access to our network, we are providing notice out of an abundance of caution." RBHA emphasized that an investigation to "determine the nature and scope of the incident" was launched by IT experts the moment this breach was discovered. This incident was also reported to the FBI's Cyber Division, as well as the Virginia Fusion Center. "While the investigation remains ongoing, we are taking steps now to implement additional safeguards and review policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security. RBHA has implemented additional security measures designed to further protect the privacy of our clients, staff and partners. Among other steps taken, we engaged a leading strategic service provider to monitor our cybersecurity systems, reviewed our systems architecture and implemented stronger policies to prevent future attacks." RBHA did not further expand on what these new safeguards and policies look like in the release. Officials encourage all who may have been impacted by this data breach to remain vigilant. You should monitor your account statements and credit reports for suspicious activity, as well as keep an eye out for any incidents of identity theft or fraud. If you have any questions about this incident, you can contact the RBHA at 844-572-2716 during operating hours, which are 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST on weekdays. You can also visit RBHA's website. ...read more read less