Cybersecurity

Springfield, Mass.-based New England Dermatology & Laser Center has paid $300,640 in a settlement over claims that it improperly disposed of specimen containers labeled with patient health information, the HHS Office of Civil Rights said in an Aug. 23 news…

A hacking incident involving Onyx Technologies, a company that specializes in healthcare data exchange, affected 96,814 patients, the firm notified the HHS Office of Civil Rights on Aug. 12.

A Vermont health center recently experienced a ransomware attack that affected 59,381 patients, it reported Aug. 11 to the HHS Office of Civil Rights.

Hackers breached the private medical records at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital in Trenton, N.J. and Anne Klein Forensic Center in Trenton, N.J., according to an Aug. 20 report from NJ.com.

Hackers threatened to post patient information stolen from Methodist McKinney (Texas) Hospital and two surgery centers on the dark web, according to CBS Dallas Fort Worth.

From Russian hackers targeting hospitals for patient data to third-party vendor data breaches affecting numerous health systems, here are 11 cybersecurity incidents that Becker's has reported on since Aug. 1. 

Insurers significantly increased premiums for cyber coverage and are making stricter criteria for those applying, but healthcare organizations are finding it difficult to add all of the required additions, especially smaller providers, SC Media reported Aug. 18. 

A quarter of healthcare data leaks were intentionally caused by employees, according to a recent global survey of 1,300 health IT professionals by software company Soti.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) urged the Biden administration to strengthen the federal government's cyber defenses in healthcare amid a spike in cyberattacks, The Hill reported Aug. 18. 

More than 942,000 patients from 28 hospitals and physician offices were affected by a data breach involving medical billing vendor Practice Resources, according to an Aug. 4 submission to the HHS Office of Civil Rights.