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Articles from October 2020

Notice of Timberline Data Event

Out of an abundance of caution, we are writing to inform you of a data security incident involving Timberline Billing Services, LLC (“Timberline”). Dubuque Community School District takes the security of student information very seriously, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this incident may cause. While we are unaware of any actual misuse of student information, we are providing you with information about the incident, Timberline’s response, and the steps you may take to better protect against possible misuse of your / your child’s personal information, should you feel it necessary to do so.

Who is Timberline and Why Did They Have My Child’s Information?

Timberline provides Medicaid reimbursement billing services for covered IEP services to 190 school districts in Iowa, including Dubuque Community School District. In September 2020, Timberline notified Dubuque Community School District that Timberline experienced a cybersecurity incident which resulted in the exposure of personal information maintained by educational institutions and processed by Timberline. Dubuque Community School District was first notified of this incident by Timberline on September 2, 2020.

What Happened?

On March 5, 2020, Timberline noticed suspicious activity on its network impacting certain servers and systems. Timberline launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of this activity. Working with outside computer forensics specialists, Timberline determined that an unknown actor accessed Timberline’s network between February 12, 2020 and March 4, 2020, encrypted certain files, and also removed certain information from Timberline’s network; however, the investigation was unable to determine which specific information was actually removed. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, Timberline undertook a comprehensive and time-intensive review of all files that could have been impacted. This review was recently completed and determined that protected health information and/or personal information relating to student information was present in files that may have been compromised. This incident did not involve any access to the district’s internal systems or student records.

What Information Was Involved?

Based on the information we have received from Timberline, Timberline’s investigation determined the following types of student information may have been involved: name and Medicaid ID number, Social Security number, billing or claims information, date of birth, diagnosis or symptom information, support service code & identification number, driver’s license number and state identification number and treatment information. To date, Timberline is unaware of any actual or attempted misuse of personal information as a result of this incident.

What is Being Done in Response to this Incident?

The security, privacy, and confidentiality of student personal information are among our highest priorities. Upon learning of this incident, Timberline moved quickly to investigate and respond to the incident, assess the security of relevant Timberline systems, and identify potentially affected individuals. Timberline also reported this incident to law enforcement. Timberline is taking steps to enhance the security of its systems in addition to the robust security measures already in place including upgrading all servers and firewalls, resetting all user passwords and requiring frequent password rotations, and migrating school and student data to a cloud location.

While we are unaware of any misuse of anyone’s information as a result of this incident, we are offering affected students access to 12 months of minor identity monitoring through Experian at no cost to you.

What Can Impacted Individuals Do?

Timberline has established a dedicated assistance line for individuals seeking additional information regarding this incident. Individuals seeking additional information may call toll-free assistance line at (844) 439-7669. This toll-free line is available 8:00am to 10:00pm CT Monday through Friday, and 10:00am to 7:00pm CT Saturday through Sunday, excluding U.S. holidays.

Prescott Elementary School Receives $20,000 Donation from Dubuque Bank and Trust

Dubuque Bank and Trust Logo Prescott Elementary School staff were surprised with a $20,000 donation from Dubuque Bank and Trust, through its partnership with the national non-profit organization, AdoptAClassroom.org, to kick off World Teachers’ Day on October 5.

“Dubuque Bank and Trust is a long-time supporter of Prescott Elementary School and we are so grateful for this significant gift made through their partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org,” said Vicki Sullivan, principal of Prescott Elementary School. “We look forward to determining how to spend the funds to maximize the benefit to our students and school community.”

AdoptAClassroom.org logo

The funds are intended for the school to purchase much-needed tools and materials, so they can successfully and safely continue to operate, whether students are learning in the classroom or remotely from their homes.

“These are such challenging days for our K-12 educators, wrestling with how best to stay safe while keeping their students connected and engaged in learning,” says Lynn “Tut” Fuller, President and CEO of Dubuque Bank and Trust. “K-12 schools are the cornerstone to a healthy and productive community. We want to play our part to help.”

About Dubuque Bank and Trust Company
Dubuque Bank and Trust Company (DB&T), a subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc., (NASDAQ: HTLF), is a state chartered bank with more than $1.8 billion in assets and serving customers in the Tri-State region of Dubuque County in northeast Iowa, portions of Grant County in southwest Wisconsin and Jo Daviess County in northwest Illinois. The bank operates six branch offices in Dubuque County. The bank specializes in business lending and deposit services, and provides a wide variety of personal credit and deposit services along with complete electronic banking programs. For more information visit www.dubuquebank.com or call 877.280.1851. DB&T is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and an Equal Housing Lender.

About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a diversified financial services company with assets of $15 billion. The company provides banking, mortgage, private client, investment and insurance services to individuals and businesses. Heartland currently has 113 banking locations serving 82 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and California. Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.

About AdoptAClassroom.org
We are a national, award-winning nonprofit that provides the most flexible and accountable funding for K-12 teachers and schools throughout the U.S. Our proprietary, easy-to-use education fundraising platform helps teachers, principals, and administrators give every child the tools they deserve to succeed in school. Since 1998, we have raised $39 million and supported 5.4 million students. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we hold a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a platinum rating of transparency from GuideStar. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.