More on the Dartmouth study reported here recently.
Over a two-week period, Dartmouth College researchers, in collaboration with P2P monitoring vendor Tiversa, searched file-sharing networks for key terms associated with the top ten publicly traded health care firms in the country, and discovered numerous sensitive documents – for example, a spreadsheet from an AIDS clinic with 232 client names, including Social Security numbers, addresses and birthdates.
The researchers also discovered databases for a hospital system that contained detailed information on more than 20,000 patients, including Social Security numbers, contact details, and insurance records, along with diagnosis information.
The researchers also found a 1,718-page document from a medical testing laboratory containing patient Social Security numbers, insurance information, and treatment codes for thousands of patients. And in another place relating to a group of anesthesiologists, more than 350 megabytes of data comprising sensitive patient reports were found.
In all, researchers found hundreds of documents revealing sensitive information on tends of thousands of patients, Johnson said.