Cybersecurity

Because ransomware attacks can be destructive to hospitals and health systems, executives must take precautions to protect their information.

Houston-based Fondren Orthopedic Group is notifying 30,049 patients that their medical records may have been damaged in a malware attack.

UnitedHealthcare disclosed Jan. 31 that a limited number of members may have had their information exposed in a data breach, according to The Post and Courier.

Along with the uptick in cybersecurity incidents at hospitals and health systems, patients have begun to take action in response to their data potentially being mishandled. 

Numerous privacy incidents at hospitals, IT suppliers and other healthcare organizations captured public attention in January.

Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center began notifying employees Jan. 23 about a data breach within its payroll system, according to the Meadville Tribune. 

The cost of data breaches as well as the frequency of them has increased over the past five years, according to IBM Security's Cost of Insider Threats: 2020 Global report.

An unauthorized individual pretended to be an executive at New York City-based VillageCare Rehabilitation & Nursing Center to gather information on patients.

An unauthorized third party gained access to some computers at Manchester (Conn.) Ophthalmology and attempted to encrypt information with ransomware.

The number of data breaches that occur annually continues to rise, meaning healthcare organizations and consumers must be vigilant in protecting data, according to nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.