Hospital network hackers nab personal info of 4.5 million US patients
In April and June, one of the largest hospital networks in the US was hacked. Community Health Systems says that cyber attacks originating in China stole the personal details of 4.5 million patients including names, addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates and Social Security numbers. In a regulatory filing, the company explained that an investigation into the breach showed "methods and techniques" used were similar to those employed by a group that's been active in the country. Said group usually goes after intellectual property (like medical equipment data) according to the report, so the company doesn't believe that the personal info would be exploited. What's more, both credit card numbers and clinical data weren't touched. Community Health Systems says it's removed the hackers' malware, and is in the process of notifying patients involved across its 206 hospitals that span 29 states.
[Photo credit: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images]
