Organizations, known as covered entities, subject to HIPAA regulations already have a difficult time preventing and detecting unauthorized access to patient information within their own organizations – now they have the added burden of managing the access of business associates. This was the case with Meritus Health, who recently notified the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights that one of their business associates had inappropriately accessed patient information. … [Read more...]
Meritus Health Business Associate Breach
On June 26, 2015, Meritus Health reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights a potential privacy breach associated with protected health information (PHI). The incident was found in May during a routine compliance and self-audit. During the investigation it was found that an employee of one of their business associates had inappropriately accessed patient records. While business associates may have access to the protected health information held by … [Read more...]
PHI – Protected Health Information
HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, directly affects all organizations that directly maintain and transmit protected health information. These include: health care providers hospitals physician practices dental practices health plans laboratories health care clearinghouses pharmacies, etc. In addition, business associates who work with these organizations and have access to protected health information, or PHI, now also fall under the HIPAA … [Read more...]
Federal Security Clearance Breach
Last week, the U.S. government revealed that a second hacker attack on the Office of Personnel Management has created a federal security clearance breach that could jeopardize the security clearance of federal agents. The security clearance breach was discovered while officials were investigating the hack of the Office of Personnel Management breach. It was originally reported that the OPM breach, which was announced on June 8th, compromised the records of approximately 4 million current and … [Read more...]
History of Hacking
The incidents of cyber-attacks and the fall out associated with them are on the rise. Recent victims of hacking include: Home Depot Anthem Kmart Starbucks Target Sony JP Morgan This list represents just some of the major organizations that were hacked in 2014. One of the most recent victims is the U.S. federal government. Hackers and hacking have changed over the years. What used to be a way for teens to satisfy their curiosity and find a way to gain free phone access has … [Read more...]
Federal Government Data Breach
The recent federal government data breach is one of the largest known cyber-attacks on federal networks. The computer systems of the federal Office of Personnel Management were hacked, resulting in a breach that affected the records of approximately 4 million past and current federal employees. Information that was compromised included: Federal employee birth dates, social security numbers, and bank information Personnel data going back to 1985, including retiree information and … [Read more...]
Loose Hard Drives Are A Liability
It is so hard to convince business people that it is not a good idea to keep unused data containing devices (like hard drives) stored around the office. One phone contractor recently mentioned that a bank client was doing just that – holding onto outdated or non-working hard drives that were stacking up around the office. Think about all the consumer information that could be stored on those hard drives – this is a data breach or compliance fine just waiting to happen. Often times company … [Read more...]
Some Starbucks Account Holders Hacked
Hackers have found a way to access the accounts of some U.S. and Canadian Starbucks customers who use a Starbucks card or the Starbucks mobile application. It appears they are targeting customers who use weak passwords to protect their accounts. Once the account has been hacked, the fraudsters change the email address and password and transfer funds to another account. The hackers are also looking for customer accounts that have the auto-refill function attached to their account, allowing the … [Read more...]
Crimeware
According to the 2015 Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report, the second most common attack pattern involves crimeware – 18.8% of confirmed data disclosures fall into this category. So what exactly is crimeware and how can it be prevented? Crimeware is a type of malware that is specifically designed to automate a cybercrime. Unlike other forms of malware, like spyware or adware, crimeware is created for the purpose of stealing an individual’s identity and/or accessing their financial … [Read more...]
Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report
The Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report was recently released for 2015. The report has become an information security industry standard report since its inception in 2008. The report analyzes thousands of confirmed data breaches and security incidents from around the world and offers trends and guidance regarding security practices. Some of the highlights from this year’s Data Breach Investigations Report include the following: Top three industries affected are public, … [Read more...]
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