2023 was a record year for security breaches in the healthcare sector, according to a new report from HIPAA Journal.
DES MOINES, Iowa — 2023 was a record year for security breaches in the healthcare sector, according to a new report in the HIPAA Journal.
Iowa State is no stranger to offense either. Across the state, some health care providers have had to tell patients that their personal information may have been stolen.
“These healthcare organizations and institutions are prime targets for attackers,” said Brandon Potter, chief technology officer at Procircular. “There’s a lot of information that can be sold.”
Cyber hackers, also known as threat actors, have become more skilled with the advancement of technology. Unlike ethical hackers, attackers do not request permission from organizations and instead seek to steal personal information for financial gain.
“They’re working with just like any legitimate company, but their intentions are sinister,” Potter told Local 5.
Most recently, a Des Moines orthopedic surgeon sent hundreds of letters to current and former patients informing them of a security breach that occurred in early 2023. A similar case was reported by Marcy One Clinton with the University of Iowa Community Her Home Care.
These healthcare security breaches are happening everywhere, not just here in Iowa.
More than 133 million medical records will be compromised across the United States in 2023, HIPPA Journal revealed in a report released Thursday. This exceeds the previous record set after 2022.
“I think people should be worried, right? Their data, their Social Security numbers, their identities could be exposed,” Potter said.
Are these companies and providers to blame?
Potter said it can take months for a breach to be noticed and must be investigated before patients can be notified.
“With time and investigation, third-party experts will likely be able to determine the scope of the breach. The goal is to identify this, find out what is actually affected, and then , we have the answers to put out there.”
These organizations are now encouraging patients to be proactive and take steps to keep their information and trust safe.
“You can also enroll in credit monitoring as a proactive measure before something like this happens. I would take a more proactive approach and actually freeze my credit,” Potter said. Ta.
ProCircular warns that individuals’ personal information may be exposed on various platforms, even if they are not aware of it. Potter believes everyone should act as if their information is already out there.
“That’s how you want to operate on the outside, but outside of that, you have to have a little bit of trust that everyone is doing their best most of the time. It’s hard to hold people accountable,” he said. told Local 5. . ”
Remember, tax season is fast approaching and hackers and scammers are on high alert.
The IRS offers several ways to avoid identity theft and protect your information. Click here for more information.
