A Georgia man was sentenced to federal prison today for using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and attempt to purchase a luxury vehicle worth nearly $80,000. Mackenzie Braswell Sherman, 38, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release. According to court documents, in…
Category: U.S.
After CommonSpirit ransomware attack: Why healthcare M&A is a ‘huge’ cybersecurity risk
Samantha Liss reports: As CommonSpirit Health, formed by the merger of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives in 2019, continues to deal with the fallout from a ransomware attack three weeks ago, security experts say such tie-ups and acquistions make healthcare systems more vulnerable to security breaches. M&A in healthcare “creates a huge risk” and a…
A Judge Has Finalized the $63M OPM Hack Settlement. Feds Now Have Two Months to Sign Up for Damages.
Eric Katz reports: A federal judge on Wednesday formally finalized a $63 million settlement that will soon allow thousands of current and former federal employees to receive payouts as part of the agreement stemming from a 2015 breach of data maintained by the Office of Personnel Management. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said all parties…
California Appellate Court In Ruling of First Impression Affirms Denial of Class Certification in Data Breach Involving Confidential Medical Information
Kristin L. Bryan of Squire Patton Boggs writes about a lawsuit stemming from an insider wrongdoing situation first reported in 2018: Last month a California appellate court affirmed (for the first time among any state appellate courts to consider the issue) the lower court’s denial of class certification for claims brought under the Confidentiality of…
HIPAA Security Rule Security Incident Procedures
HHS OCR’s October newsletter begins: Every October, in recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the federal government and its partners work to educate stakeholders on cybersecurity awareness and how best to protect the privacy and security of confidential data. Within the health care industry, the HIPAA Security Rule1 applies to covered entities2 and their business associates3 (“regulated entities”)…
FTC Takes Action Against Drizly and its CEO James Cory Rellas for Security Failures that Exposed Data of 2.5 Million Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against the online alcohol marketplace Drizly and its CEO James Cory Rellas over allegations that the company’s security failures led to a data breach exposing the personal information of about 2.5 million consumers. Drizly and Rellas were alerted to security problems two years prior to the breach yet…