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

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    7 Ways You Can Secure a High-Traffic Commercial Security Gate  

    Your commercial security gate is one of your most powerful tools to keep thieves off your property. Without a security gate, your commercial perimeter security plan is all for nothing. Read Now

  • Surveillance Cameras Provide Peace of Mind for New Florida Homeowners

    Managing a large estate is never easy. Tack on 2 acres of property and keeping track of the comings and goings of family and visitors becomes nearly impossible. Needless to say, the new owner of a $10 million spec home in Florida was eager for a simple way to monitor and manage his 15,000-square-foot residence, 2,800-square-foot clubhouse and expansive outdoor areas. Read Now

  • Survey: 72% of CISOs Are Concerned Generative AI Solutions Could Result In Security Breach

    Metomic recently released its “2024 CISO Survey: Insights from the Security Leaders Keeping Critical Business Data Safe.” Metomic surveyed more than 400 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from the U.S. and UK to gain deeper insights on the state of data security. The report includes survey findings on various cybersecurity issues, including security leaders’ top priorities and challenges, SaaS app usage across their organization, and biggest concerns with implementing generative AI solutions. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings. 3