Cybersecurity

Omaha-based Nebraska Medical Center, part of Nebraska Medicine, submitted a data breach to HHS on May 5.

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comment on proposed changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule requiring EHR companies to notify consumers and the FTC of data breaches. 

EHR snooping can occur at any hospital and is often driven by various motivating factors, from curiosity to an act of malice. 

The American Medical Association issued new privacy principles May 11 in response to Americans' burgeoning apprehension toward sharing health data.

The mother of a former patient of Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago filed a lawsuit on May 8 against the hospital over a medical records privacy breach, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.

May 7 was World Password Day, celebrated as a reminder to strengthen online passwords.

The U.S. Department for Homeland Security and the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre are warning hospitals and healthcare organizations that there could be an increase in cyberattacks targeting them to gain COVID-19 patient data.

Hartford, Conn.-based Saint Francis Healthcare Partners notified patients of an email hacking incident that affected 38,529 patients, according to HHS.

Two plastic surgery providers were recent targets of a ransomware attack that led to patients' information being posted online, according to a Cointelegraph report.

Ransomware attacks on hospitals and health systems have continued during the pandemic, raising key cybersecurity considerations about infrastructure disruptions and COVID-19 test data integrity, according to security expert Jeff Tully, MD.