More details have emerged about a breach noted previously on this site. WFTV reports that the records were stolen from an Orange County Health Department employee’s car, but whether the employee had followed policy is somewhat unclear. Jeff Deal of the news station reports that county officials told him that the employee was allowed to have the…
Category: Health Data
Health Industry Can’t Protect Your Records from Hackers: Report
Herb Weisbaum reports: Your medical records are a prime target for hackers and identity thieves, but the healthcare industry is not prepared to deal with a surge in data breaches, security incidents and criminal attacks, according to a new report by the Ponemon Institute released on Thursday. “Organizations in the healthcare space are not playing…
Ca: Newfoundland patient data breach investigated (updated)
The Canadian Press reports: A health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador is investigating a breach of confidentiality after a document containing patient information was picked up off hospital property in Grand Falls-Windsor. Central Health CEO Rosemarie Goodyear says the document obtained by a local news outlet had information on 16 patients, including name, age and…
FL Dept. of Health documents of 5 patients stolen
News13 reports that sensitive information on five patients was in a “secure briefcase” stolen from a Florida Department of Health employee’s vehicle. The state knew about the March 31st theft on April 1, but only notified patients this week, it seems. One of the victims, Chris Kibodeaux, didn’t learn until Thursday that his name, social…
Criminal Attacks Are Now Leading Cause of Data Breach in Healthcare, According to New Ponemon Study
The healthcare industry is experiencing a surge in data breaches, security incidents, and criminal attacks—exposing millions of patients and their medical records—according to the latest Ponemon Institute study, sponsored by ID Experts®, the Fifth Annual Benchmark Study on Privacy & Security of Healthcare Data. The study reveals that criminal attacks in healthcare are up 125 percent since 2010…
Former Blue Cross worker pleads guilty to filing over 180 fraudulent tax returns
WTVM reports that a former Blue Cross Blue Shield customer service employee has pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Danielle Wallace admitted to filing 180 fraudulent tax returns and stealing nearly $500,000. The false returns used personal information obtained from Blue Cross Blue Shield members who had called the…