CCM Health in Minnesota provides health services through public hospitals and healthcare facilities. In a notification letter dated March 12, 2024, they informed patients that protected health information (PHI) may have been accessed and exfiltrated during an attack that occurred between April 3 – April 10, 2023.
They do not reveal when or how they first became aware of an incident, nor do they disclose whether there was ever any contact or demand by any threat actor. What they do claim in a submission to the Maine Attorney General’s Office is that they discovered the breach on February 12, 2024. But that is not when they discovered a breach. It is when they allegedly first discovered PHI was involved.
If it really took from April 3, 2023, to February 12, 2024, to discover that PHI had been breached, patients may be understandably upset and HHS may have some questions for CCM.
Apart from the delay in discovery, patients may also be upset that CCM does not seem to be able to tell them exactly what data of theirs was accessed or stolen. CCM writes that the types of information involved included:
full name and Date of Birth, Social Security Number, Medical Information and Health Insurance Information. If your medical information is involved, this may include a medical record number, patient account number, prescription information, healthcare provider’s name, medical diagnosis, diagnosis code, treatment type, treatment location, treatment date, admission date, discharge date, and/or lab results. This is not an exhaustive list nor can we confirm that each aforementioned data element was affected as it relates to you.
CCM’s notification to Maine reported that 29,282 people were affected by the breach, and they reported to HHS that 28,760 patients were affected.
No ransomware group or extortion group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of publication today.