Michael Epshteyn writes: A new law that amends the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) may provide some relief to HIPAA covered entities and business associates, some of whom have faced class action lawsuits seeking millions in statutory damages under the CMIA for large-scale data breaches. Because the CMIA—unlike HIPAA—creates a private right of…
Author: Dissent
Editorial: Hospital should turn over records
A situation in New Hampshire has pitted hospitals’ obligations to protect patient privacy against the state’s legitimate interest in investigating a serious public health and criminal issue. SeacoastOnline has an editorial on the case: The state Department of Public Health has done a great deal to help Exeter Hospital, its patients and the community at…
Reports of Another Education Department Data Breach
A new feature for student borrowers on the Education Department’s National Student Loan Data System might have revealed personal data about borrowers, mimicking another data breach a year ago. The system, a clearinghouse for borrowers and institutions to get information about student loans, recently added a way for borrowers to download all of their data…
Stolen Monterey Institute of International Studies laptop contained students’ SSNs
Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school at Middlebury College in California, has been notifying students whose unencrypted names and Social Security numbers were on a laptop stolen during a burglary at an employee’s home. The letter, dated October 3, offers no explanation as to why the data weren’t encrypted, but offers those affected…
ZA: Cancer patients at risk as thieves steal computers with their medical records (updated)
Lives of thousands of cancer patients are at risk following the looting of computers that store vital data for them at the Cancer Diseases Hospital, a heist that has shocked medical personnel. The specialised hospital is located within the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) premises in Lusaka. Medical personnel have described the theft as a ‘death…
Marine pleads guilty to federal identity theft fraud
Wayne K. Roustan reports: A 23-year-old U.S. Marine is looking at up to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal fraud charges in an identity theft case that victimized fellow Marines stationed with him in Afghanistan, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer announced Wednesday in Miami. Jobson Cenor, of North Miami, plotted with Dorothy…