How Hackers Hack 2.2 Million Patient Records:
Unidentified hackers were able to access sensitive patient and employee data, including names, SSNs, diagnosis and treatment details and insurance information after breaking into the clinic’s network. The clinic was informed of the breach by the FBI in November 2015 but the Feds asked 21st Century to hold off from disclosing the incident until a thorough investigation had been completed. This explains why the clinic only went public in admitting the breach this week. Hackers accessed the systems at the beginning of October last year. The details contained in the targeted database that the hacker or hacking group may have accessed include:
Patients’ namesSocial security numbersPhysicians’ namesDiagnosis and treatment informationInsurance information
A statement by the company revealed that there has been no indication that the possibly-breached information has been misused after the database was hacked. However, the company cites an “abundance of caution” as the reason behind its reaching out to over 2 million affected patients. It appears that diagnosis and treatment information might have been exposed, which could unlock the potential for significant medical fraud. And if insurance plan information was stolen along with identity information, data thieves would have a good indicator on which identities hold a higher value, based on the value of the insurance plan.
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