The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center has issued a threat brief warning about the risks associated with electronic health record systems, which are often targeted by cyber threat actors. Cyberattacks on EHRs can be extremely profitable for cyber threat actors. EHRs usually contain all the information required for… Read More »
CrowdStrike has released its annual threat report which shows there was a major increase in data leaks following ransomware attacks in 2021, rising 82% from 2020. CrowdStrike observed 2,686 ransomware attacks in 2021 compared to 1,474 in 2020. There were more than 50 ransomware attacks a week in 2021. Ransomware gangs also increased their ransom… Read More »
HIMSS has published the findings of its 2021 Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey which revealed 67% of respondents have experienced at least one significant security incident in the past 12 months, with the most significant security breaches the result of phishing attacks. The 2021 HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey was conducted on 167 healthcare cybersecurity professionals, who had… Read More »
Morley Companies, a Saignaw, MI-based provider of business services, has recently announced it was the victim of a cyberattack that started on August 1, 2021, that prevented access to data on its information systems. Rapid action was taken to isolate the affected systems and a leading cybersecurity firm was engaged to investigate and determine the… Read More »
Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers has recently announced it was the victim of a cyberattack on November 30, 2021. Third-party forensic investigators were engaged to determine the nature and scope of the breach. The investigation confirmed its electronic medical record system and other clinical systems were not compromised in the attack; however, on January 13,… Read More »
Family Christian Health Center (FCHC) in Illinois has announced it was the victim of a ransomware attack in November 2021 that compromised the protected health information of 31,000 patients. The attack was detected on November 30, 2021, with the investigation indicating the attackers first gained access to its IT systems on or around November 18,… Read More »
The Chicago-based Durable Medical Equipment Provider (DME) and specialist therapeutic footwear supplier Sapphire Patient Care has had its HIPAA compliance program assessed and has been determined to be adhering to the necessary regulatory standards of the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, Breach Notification Rule, and Omnibus Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and… Read More »
CaptureRx has proposed a $4.75 million settlement to resolve claims related to a 2021 data breach that affected approximately 2.4 million patients of its healthcare provider clients. CaptureRx is a healthcare administrative service provider that helps hospitals manage their 340B drug discount programs. On February 6, 2021, CapturRx discovered unauthorized individuals had gained access to… Read More »
Chicago’s South Shore Hospital has started notifying 115,670 current and former patients about a December 2021 cyberattack on its network. Suspicious activity was identified on its network on December 10, 2021, and prompt action was taken to contain the incident. Emergency protocols were implemented to ensure care could continue to be safely provided to patients.… Read More »
Healthcare privacy laws in the United States are due an update to bring them into the modern age to ensure individually identifiable health information is protected no matter how it is collected and shared. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule is now more than 2 decades old, and while the Department… Read More »