NY Hospital Security Breach Shows Vulnerabilities in Healthcare Cybersecurity

NY Hospital Security Breach Shows Vulnerabilities in Healthcare Cybersecurity

SUNY Upstate Hospital announced a former employee inappropriately accessed more than 1,200 patient records.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Nov 16, 2018

So far this year, 359 healthcare breaches at hospitals, health insurers and other organizations related to healthcare have been reported to the federal government. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, nearly 176.4 million health records were breached between 2010 and 2017. 

Included in this year's breaches is SUNY Upstate University Hospital - which announced 1,216 patient records were inappropriately accessed by an employee between Nov. 3, 2017 and Oct. 23, 2017 without having a legitimate reason to do so. 

The hospital recorded the breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, which investigates violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA, a federal law that safeguards medical information. 

Upstate could face federal fines ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation if an investigation shows it was negligent. 

The breach included patient names, ages, diagnoses and services received. The hospital does not believe that any of the information accessed by the employee, who has not been charged with a crime, was misused in any way. Social Security numbers, insurance identification numbers, credit card information and other types of personal data often used by identity thieves were were not compromised. 

Patient data breaches have been rising as the cost of a medical record goes up on the black market. These days, a data thief could pay anywhere between $500 to $800. This information can be used to submit fraudulent insurance claims, obtain medical devices, get prescription drugs and blackmail people. 

Hospitals and healthcare organizations are not making it anymore difficult for thieves to get this information, however. Organizations are not taking the time to lay out proper procedures and put policies and controls in place to protect medical records.


About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

  • The Stage is Set

    The security industry spans the entire globe, with manufacturers, developers and suppliers on every continent (well, almost—sorry, Antarctica). That means when regulations pop up in one area, they often have a ripple effect that impacts the entire supply chain. Recent data privacy regulations like GDPR in Europe and CPRA in California made waves when they first went into effect, forcing businesses to change the way they approach data collection and storage to continue operating in those markets. Even highly specific regulations like the U.S.’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) can have international reverberations – and this growing volume of legislation has continued to affect global supply chains in a variety of different ways. Read Now

  • Access Control Technology

    As we move swiftly toward the end of 2024, the security industry is looking at the trends in play, what might be on the horizon, and how they will impact business opportunities and projections. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3