3 Longtime Health Centers Report Hacks Affecting 740,000
October 17, 2024 – Published on HealthcareInfoSecurity
A network of family health centers, a public medical center and a plastic surgery practice with nearly 180 years of combined service to their communities are among the latest healthcare groups reporting major data theft incidents to regulators. The three hacks affected a total of nearly 740,000 patients and employees.
The trio of breach victims is Bakersfield, California-based Omni Family Health, a network of 40 community health centers that has been in business since 1978; Tri-City Medical Center, a public hospital that has been serving San Diego County’s coastal communities for 60 years; and New York Plastic Surgery, which has been operating for 75 years and was until recently known as Long Island Plastic Surgery.
In a recent report, GuidePoint Security researchers identified about 90 ransomware attacks on the healthcare sector in July through September alone.
In the first nine months of the year, the top three ransomware groups impacting the healthcare industry by victim volume were LockBit, RansomHub and BianLian, said Grayson North, senior security consultant at GuidePoint Security.
“Despite their disruption by law enforcement in early 2024, LockBit’s operational tempo has remained sufficiently high to keep them in the ‘top spot’ for healthcare year-to-date,” North said.
BianLian is attributable for 9% of the total healthcare victims year-to-date, and has historically disproportionately impacted healthcare and manufacturing organizations, potentially based on the belief that those in this vertical are more likely to pay a ransom, he said.
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