Martin Waller of Times Online writes: Boots is the latest company to be embarrassed by the loss of confidential information after a drug addict stole a back-up tape with details of customers to whom the company had sold dental insurance. Boots is blaming Medisure, the insurer, which is blaming the security firm that was transporting…
Category: Health Data
Contractor or vendor woes (commentary)
A few recent breaches involving health information have gotten me thinking more about contractor or third party data losses. Is our reaction to such incidents the same as it would be if the hospital, insurance company, or other covered entities directly experienced the breach or loss themselves? Is there some psychological reaction whereby the more…
UK: Court sent me people's secret files
George Hamilton reports in the Oxford Mail: Oxford County Court has tightened its security procedures after a member of staff mistakenly sent sensitive medical information and National Insurance numbers to a woman trying to settle her parking fines. Emma Kelly said she was worried identity fraudsters could have capitalised on the error, which saw a…
Ph: Hospitals review policies in light of YouTube case
Jeannette Andrade, Kara Andrade, and Jerome Aning of the Philippine Daily Inquirer report: Hospitals in the Central Visayas region are strengthening their policies on patients’ right to privacy, particularly the prohibition of cellular phones and cameras in operating rooms, after an embarrassing video of a rectal operation found its way on the worldwide video-sharing site…
Health data missing: HealthAlliance PDA lost
Lisa Eckelbecker of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports: The healthcare system Central New England HealthAlliance has sent letters to 384 patients notifying them that their personal information, including Social Security numbers and health insurance information, may be vulnerable because a hand-held computer used by a home health nurse is missing. […] In a letter…
700,000 people could be affected by security breach
A collection agency announced a security breach Friday that potentially compromises the personal information of 700,000 people. The Central Collection Bureau said the breach happened on March 21, 2008. The company said thieves broke into its offices and stole eight computers, as well as one of its servers. The server, which was password protected and…