Beaumont Health, which is the leading healthcare organization in Michigan, began informing about 6,000 patients concerning the potential access to their protected health information (PHI) by unauthorized persons.
On June 5, 2020, Beaumont Health found out that unauthorized persons accessed email accounts between January 3, 2020 and January 29, 2020. The email accounts held the protected health information of patients including names, dates of birth, procedure and treatment data, type of treatment delivered, diagnoses, diagnosis codes, prescription details, patient account numbers, and medical record numbers.
Though unauthorized persons accessed the email accounts, there is no evidence determined that implies the hackers viewed or stolen the emails or email attachments in the accounts. There is also no report received that indicate the misuse of patient data.
This is Beaumont Health’s second notification of a phishing-related breach this year. Last April, Beaumont Health began informing 112,211 persons about the breach of their PHI held in email accounts in late 2019.
Beaumont Health already took action to enhance its internal procedures to permit it to know and avert threats a lot quicker later on. More precautions were enforced to better email security, which includes the usage of multi-factor authentication. More training on determining and controlling of malicious emails was also given to personnel.
Samaritan Medical Center Checking out Probable Security Breach
Samaritan Medical Center based in Watertown, NY announced a security event that has caused it to shut down its computer systems. Workers have used pen and paper while the breach is remediated at the same time giving medical care to patients. Patients were not transported to other hospitals, nevertheless, certain non-urgent visits were rebooked. No other details regarding the precise nature of the security breach is provided during this period.
Improper Disposal of Medical Documents by Southcare Minute Clinic
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is examining the Southcare Minute Clinic based in Wilmington, NC concerning the incorrect disposal of medical documents. The Wilmington Police Department took action on a call telling them that sensitive files and unsafe waste were dumped in an ordinary dumpster in the back of the old Southcare Minute Clinic situated at 1506 Market Street.
The dumpster was identified to comprise files with patient data, used needles, and other harmful waste products. The police stated that there was HIPAA Rules violation, however, established that there was no crime undertaken. Since then, the dumpster has been cleaned up and there’s no longer any danger to people’s safety. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is going to decide if it is proper to charge a financial penalty.
