Hacking or IT problems are behind most breaches that have exposed the healthcare data of 20 million U.S patients in the first half of 2022, according to a new report.
An analysis by Modern Healthcare uncovered 338 breaches, reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights through June. This total is the second-highest filed in the first half of a year, the news outlet reported. The highest number of filings occurred in the first half of 2021, numbering 368.
Entities reporting exposed data included healthcare providers, insurers and their business associates. The largest incident was a cyberattack that affected 2 million patients of Shields Health Care Group, reported in March. And in another cyberattack that took place in March and April, a hacker gained access to data from potentially 1.2 million patients who had data stored with Baptist Medical Center in Texas.
Alongside hacking and IT mishaps which were responsible for 80% of the breaches, “improper disposal, loss, theft or unauthorized access” also contributed, the news outlet reported.
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