'Possible cyber incident' impacting birth, death and marriage certificates all over Florida

DEPUTIES FOUND AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX SANTA CLARA DRY. >> IMAGINE LOSING A LOVED ONE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THEIR DEATH CERTIFICATE OF PLANNING A WEDDING AND YOU NEED A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE BUT TOLD THERE'S A GLITCH AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT EVEN GETTING A BIRTH CERTIFICATE RIGHT NOW IS NOT EASY. A CYBER ATTACK HIT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. >> LEAVING MANY IN LIMBO. NBC TWO'S RACHEL WHALEN SPOKE WITH SOME FUNERAL HOMES TODAY ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THEY'RE FACING. RACHEL. >> ONE FUNERAL HOME I SPOKE TO IN FORT MYERS TOLD ME THEY HAD 20 FAMILIES WAITING FOR DEATH CERTIFICATES. THAT'S WHY THE FULLER METS FUNERAL HOME HERE ON DEL PRADO TELLS ME THAT THEY'RE WORKING AS FAST AS THEY CAN TO GET THOSE CERTIFICATES IN THE HANDS OF FAMILIES WITHOUT ONE PEOPLE CAN PLAN THINGS LIKE CREMATIONS BURIALS OR GET IMPORTANT BENEFITS. >> FOR 2 WEEKS, FUNERAL HOMES LIKE FULLER METS IN CAPE CORAL HAVE HAD TO GET DEATH CERTIFICATES, THE OLD FASHION WAY. SO WE'RE BACK TO KIND OF EMMANUEL WAY OF US CREATING PHYSICALLY CREATING THE BEST OF ITS HERE. THE FUNERAL HOME. >> FAXING THEM TO DOCTORS WAITING FOR DOCTORS TO SIGN THOSE AND THEN HAND DELIVERING DEATH CERTIFICATES AND PERMITS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MANAGING PARTNER TIM HAWKES SAYS THIS MEANS IT'S TAKING FAMILIES A LOT LONGER TO GET BENEFITS LIKE LIFE INSURANCE. IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO LOSE SOMEBODY BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DES TREATED TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE COUNTS. >> ACCESS ACCOUNTS A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT PHYSICAL CERTIFIED COPY IN YOUR HANDS. THE FLORIDA HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS THIS IS THE RESULT OF A POTENTIAL CYBER INCIDENT. IT'S IMPACTING DEATH, BIRTH AND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES, ALL OF WHICH CONTAIN LOTS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TESTED HAS DATES OF BIRTHS, MAIDEN NAMES, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ADDRESSES SAYS A LOT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT IS ON A DEATH CERTIFICATE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, MY 35 YEARS OF BEING IN THIS BUSINESS THAT I'VE NEVER REALLY HAD ANY IDENTITY THEFT PROBLEMS. >> COMING FROM DESTREHAN ITSELF STAY THE SAME WAY. >> AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL CYBERATTACK. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS STILL NOT SAID WHAT THEY WHAT EXACTLY CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TODAY ASKING WHEN THEY THINK THIS ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED, BUT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK

The Florida Department of Health says it's responding to a "possible cyber incident" that is affecting birth, death, and marriage certificates all over the state.Tim Hauck is the managing partner for Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services in Cape Coral. He says on June 28, the entire state of Florida's vital statistics system went down. Ever since then, he's had to get death certificates "the old-fashioned way.""We're back to kind of a manual way of us physically creating the death certificates here at the funeral home, faxing them to doctors, waiting for doctors to sign those and then hand-delivering death certificates and permits to the health department," Hauck said.Without those documents, families cannot arrange burials or cremations. They also cannot receive important benefits, like life insurance."It's hard enough to lose somebody," Hauck said. "The longer a family has to wait to get that certified copy could certainly delay them from a financial standpoint, handling a lot the estate and assets." Hauck also points out that these documents contain a lot of personal information, like dates of birth, maiden names, Social Security numbers and addresses. "But I will tell you that in my 35 years in this business, I've never really had any identity problems. So hopefully, it will stay the same way," Hauck said.The Florida Department of Health has not said when this issue will be resolved.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

The Florida Department of Health says it's responding to a "possible cyber incident" that is affecting birth, death, and marriage certificates all over the state.

Tim Hauck is the managing partner for Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services in Cape Coral. He says on June 28, the entire state of Florida's vital statistics system went down. Ever since then, he's had to get death certificates "the old-fashioned way."

"We're back to kind of a manual way of us physically creating the death certificates here at the funeral home, faxing them to doctors, waiting for doctors to sign those and then hand-delivering death certificates and permits to the health department," Hauck said.

Without those documents, families cannot arrange burials or cremations. They also cannot receive important benefits, like life insurance.

"It's hard enough to lose somebody," Hauck said. "The longer a family has to wait to get that certified copy could certainly delay them from a financial standpoint, handling a lot the estate and assets."

Hauck also points out that these documents contain a lot of personal information, like dates of birth, maiden names, Social Security numbers and addresses.

"But I will tell you that in my 35 years in this business, I've never really had any identity problems. So hopefully, it will stay the same way," Hauck said.

The Florida Department of Health has not said when this issue will be resolved.

'Possible cyber incident' impacting birth, death and marriage certificates all over Florida

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