An unauthorized intruder leaked personal data within six days
More than half a million patients were affected by a data breach by Texas ENT, a US healthcare provider.
After learning of the security breach on October 19, the Texas Otolaryngology Department “determined that unauthorized parties had gained access to our computer systems between August 9, 2021 and August 15, 2021. And copied the Texas otolaryngology file”, read Security alert (PDF) From a healthcare professional.
The leaked data included the patient’s name, date of birth, medical record number, program code for billing purposes, and social security number used only for “a limited number of documents.”
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The Texas Otolaryngology Department emphasized that unauthorized intruders did not access the company’s electronic medical record system.
The Texas Otolaryngology Department notified the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on December 10
535,489 people may be affected by the data breach, making it the largest data breach reported to the agency in December So far.
Alert
Texas ENT provides specialized care for all ear, nose and throat problems in 15 locations in Harris and surrounding counties.
The healthcare provider stated that the data breach notification letter was mailed to the affected individuals on December 10.
It also urges patients to be alert to fraudsters after violations: “It is always recommended to check the accuracy of the health care provider’s statement. If you find that you have not received the service, we recommend contacting your provider”, the organization recommends.
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The Texas Otolaryngology Department said it is providing free identity monitoring services for victims whose social security numbers have been leaked.
The Texas Otolaryngology Department said: “We attach great importance to the privacy of patients. We apologize for any inconvenience this incident may cause to our patients and their families.”
“In order to prevent such incidents from happening again, we are implementing additional protective measures and technical security measures to protect and monitor our systems, further strengthening our existing privacy and information security plans.”
Drink it every day The Texas Otolaryngology Department has been contacted and the company has been invited to comment further. If they choose to do so, we will update the story.
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