Hackers may have infiltrated computers containing licensing information on doctors, nurses and other professions overseen by the Virginia Department of Health Professions.
By yesterday afternoon, all 36 computer servers storing the state agency's records were shut down after a midday message popped up on some computer screens that implied the system was being hacked.
The situation was being investigated as a security breach and possible criminal matter.
"Part of the system may have been hacked," said Sandra Whitley Ryals, director of the state agency that oversees licensing of health professionals, including doctors, nurses, dentists, funeral directors, physical therapists, social workers and others.
"We are trying to verify that. That is why the precautionary measure was done to shut the entire system down."
Ryals said they have no reason at this point to think the problem went beyond one server on which the initial message came up.
That shutdown meant employees could not send or receive e-mail or use their Web browsers, and for a time some telephones were not working.
"According to our security plan, we have notified the state police," Ryals said.
Any health professionals trying to log on to the agency's Web site yesterday afternoon to renew their license likely got a hanging hourglass or message error.
Ryals said state police investigators along with information technology experts from Northrop Grumman and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency and the agency's own technology staff were working on determining whether there was a security breach.
"It's a shock to our system not to have the electronic availability, but we are able to receive calls," Ryals said.
Ryals said about 80 percent of the board's approximately 300,000 licensees renew online.
"Ideally, you don't wait until the last day." People can renew over the phone, she said.
She said they were still trying to determine whether personal details such as Social Security numbers were compromised.
Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com.
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