Nathaniel Shuda reports that Fox River Counseling Center has notified 509 patients of a breach of personal and medical information after a burglary in October that involved the theft of an unsecured laptop.
The computer contained outpatient mental health records of clients who visited the center from Nov. 7, 2012, to Aug. 19, 2014, and Wisconsin Disability Determination Bureau psychological evaluations from May 13, 2013, to Oct. 21, 2015.
Information included in the data breach included clients’ names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical histories, mental status interviews, results of psychological testing, diagnoses and statements of work capacity…..
Read more on The Northwestern.
Okay, that’s bad. Changing passwords and monitoring accounts doesn’t do diddly squat if the thief realizes what’s on the laptop and dumps the data or attempts to extort patients. Yes, the laptop was likely stolen for its hardware value, but can we really be sure?