Unfortunately, the theft of PHI can be very detrimental to those impacted as there is a lot of sensitive information, including social security numbers and, in many cases, information about procedures or ailments that may be embarrassing. It is also information that can be used for subsequent social engineering attacks.
Organizations that deal with PHI or significant amounts of PII should ensure that employees are educated and trained about the proper handling of sensitive information. A good security culture, with employees considering the security implications of data duplication, is an important step toward reducing or eliminating situations such as this.
Organizations are only as secure as their weakest link. This breach, stemming from a compromised third-party vendor account, highlights the urgent need for rigorous vetting and continuous monitoring of all third-party relationships. The increasing frequency of third-party data breaches necessitates a proactive approach to security.
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