We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
The Poole Hospital data breach stemmed from the simple act of patient data being exposed from a stolen bag.
It’s understood that the stolen bag had been discarded and hidden in the hospital and contained patient data; the likes of which is always private and very sensitive. This is yet another simple data breach stemming from an entirely avoidable incident, and it doesn’t help the already problematic situation of healthcare sector data breaches.
Patients affected by the Poole Hospital data breach have been informed of the incident.
Our NHS Digital data breach compensation action is well under way with a number of victims affected by the huge data breach already signed up to our service.
News of the massive breach affecting some 150,000 patients came just weeks after the new GDPR legislation came into force at the end of May 2018. A simple case of a software error is the underlying cause of the NHS Digital data breach, and with the healthcare sector already leading the way in terms of data breach incidents, this situation is unwelcome news.
Many people have approached us for help, and our Data Leak Lawyers have listened to their concerns and agreed to take cases forward.
Recent study findings suggest that healthcare cybersecurity is still a cause for concern, with the healthcare industry itself a prime target for cybercriminals.
Underfunding and a lack of understanding by bosses means there are still huge gaps and vulnerabilities when it comes to healthcare cybersecurity, putting countless people’s private and sensitive medical data at risk of leaks and hacks.
It’s a simple case of pace: the healthcare industry doesn’t appear to be able to keep up to speed with the pace of the cybercriminals who are targeting them.
A massive NHS data breach affecting 150,000 people in England was reportedly caused by a simple coding error with GP software.
The SystemOne application used by GPs reportedly failed to record patient objections to their data being shared for reasons excluding when it is required for help and care. This meant that those who had specifically opted-out for health data sharing have had their health data shared without their consent because the objections were not passed over to NHS England’s IT provider.
One simple software issue leads to a massive NHS data breach…
A medical centre data breach has led to a huge fine from the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Medical centres and medical practices must, at all times, ensure the data they hold is safe and secure given the nature of the data they’re in charge of. Any failure to uphold this important duty can lead to huge fines and legal action to claim data breach compensation for the victims.
London-based Bayswater Medical Centre left medical records and personal medical data exposed in an old address for over 18 months, leaving them with a justifiable fine of £35,000.00
The healthcare sector is at risk of ‘grunt bot’ attacks, which are one of many innovations hackers have come up with to save themselves time and give themselves the ability to hack their targets more easily and more efficiently.
Grunt bots – literally automated bots that can seek out weak and vulnerable systems and break into them for the hacker in seconds – can save a hacker potentially hours of manual work. The healthcare sector is at particular risk because they’re known to sometimes use outdated systems which can be more vulnerable to attack.
It’s another wake-up call that means, unless healthcare sector shapes up its cybersecurity, they are at risk.
There has been another prosecution over the access of patient records without authorisation in the NHS.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined and prosecuted Michelle Harrison, formerly employed by Milton Keynes Hospital Trust, for accessing patient records without authorisation. Harrison reportedly pleaded guilty to improperly accessing the records of 12 people without any need or authorisation to do so.
This prosecution is the latest in a long line the ICO has had to enforce against NHS staff accessing medical records when they shouldn’t be.
Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital has reported a data breach involving patients who were taking part in a study.
The hospital, based in Shropshire near the Welsh border, confirmed the data breach in a report to the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s governance board. The data breached has been described as confidential information, and an investigation is believed to have been initiated.
It’s understood that the data breach has been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Inogen Inc. have reported a medical data breach involving some 30,000 customers where the improper access of personal information occurred.
Medical data breaches are a real concern, and medical device data breaches are a current issue given that medical devices in this day and age can be computer controlled and are “smart” devices that can send data from patients to servers elsewhere.
While smart medical devices could undoubtedly save lives as the flow of data can be vitally important for patient wellbeing, medical device data breaches are a monumental worry, which is why any medial data breach involving a device-maker is a cause for alarm.
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