Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Idaho-Based Medical Center Says 464,000 Affected by Attack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 13, 2024

An Idaho-based medical center is notifying about 464,000 patients and employees that their sensitive information was potentially compromised in an attack detected in March. Ransomware group ThreeAM claims to have leaked on its dark web site 22-Gbytes of Kootenai Health's stolen data.

Tech School Hack Affects Health, Personal Data of 209,000

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 12, 2024

An Arizona-based technical school is notifying nearly 209,000 current and former students, parents and faculty that their personal, health and financial information was potentially compromised in a LockBit attack earlier this year. The ransomware hack is one of many hits in the education sector.

74% of Healthcare Governance Teams Vague on Cyber Resilience

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 12, 2024

Theresa Lanowitz, chief evangelist of LevelBlue, says healthcare governance teams struggle to differentiate between cyber resilience and cybersecurity, leading to misalignment between cybersecurity and business goals. This gap exposes data and organizational operations to cyberthreats.

Securing Call Centers: Pindrop's Voice Biometrics Solution

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 12, 2024

Social engineering attacks pose a severe threat to healthcare call centers, as recent breaches demonstrate. Sumant Mauskar, senior vice president of sales and global partnerships at Pindrop, discusses how voice biometrics and deepfake detection can protect sensitive information.

Securing Lives: FDA's Latest Push for Safer Medical Devices

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 9, 2024

Aftin Ross, deputy director of the Office of Readiness and Response at FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, discusses the latest medical device cybersecurity regulations, industry collaboration and manufacturers' efforts to address vulnerabilities and ensure patient safety.

Rhysida Claims Major Data Theft From 2 More Health Systems

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 9, 2024

Ransomware group Rhysida is shaking down at least two new victims in the healthcare sector - Bayhealth and Community Care Alliance - threatening to sell or dump patients' sensitive health and personal information on the dark web. Bayhealth confirmed that it is investigating a recent cyberattack.

McLaren Health Hit With Ransomware for Second Time in a Year

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 8, 2024

Michigan-based McLaren Health Care is dealing with its second cyberattack in less than a year, disrupting IT systems and patient services at its 13 hospitals and other medical facilities. Ransomware gang INC Ransom allegedly claims to have carried out this latest attack.

Prospect Medical Facing More Legal Fallout from 2023 Hack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 7, 2024

Prospect Medical Holdings continues to face mounting legal and business fallout from the 2023 ransomware attack that disrupted IT operations at 16 of its hospitals for several weeks and resulted in a data breach that affected 1.3 million people.

Government Steps Up Efforts to Protect Healthcare Data

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 7, 2024

Healthcare cybersecurity is gaining increased attention from the industry and the federal government. The focus is on mandatory cybersecurity performance goals and enhancing the protection of small, underserved healthcare providers, said Greg Garcia, executive director, HSCC.

Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Collaboration Is Key

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 6, 2024

Most hospitals prioritize cybersecurity but often lack the necessary resources to comply with these goals. The question becomes not about the practices, but the potential barriers to implementation, according to John Riggi at the American Hospital Association.

Hack on Arkansas Mental Health Provider Affects 375,000

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 6, 2024

An Arkansas-based mental and behavioral health services provider is notifying more than 375,000 individuals of a data theft potentially compromising their sensitive personal and medical information. The organization already faces at least one proposed class action lawsuit in the wake of the breach.

Healthcare Dilemma: Pay the Ransom, Get Hacked Again

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 6, 2024

Ransomware attacks in healthcare continue to soar, driven by the financial gain attackers receive when hospitals pay ransom. These institutions often find themselves repeatedly targeted due to this willingness to pay, said Josh Wasserman, northeast area vice president, Semperis.

Attacks on Blood Suppliers Trigger Supply Chain Warning

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 5, 2024

The American Hospital Association and Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center are urging the healthcare sector to step up its supply chain security and resilience as disruptive cyberattacks target critical suppliers, including last week's attack on a Florida-based blood donation center.

Feds Hit Ambulance Company With Big 'Right of Access' Fine

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 2, 2024

Federal regulators smacked an ambulance firm with a $115,200 civil monetary penalty for failing to provide a patient with her requested health records for more than a year. The penalty is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 49th HIPAA "right of access" enforcement action.

Pharma Company to SEC: More Data Was Stolen in February Hack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 1, 2024

Pharmaceutical maker Cencora - formerly AmerisourceBergen - in an updated filing this week told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that a Feb. 21 cyberattack resulted in the theft of more data than previously reported - including personal and health information.