Hackers Get Information for More than 76,000 From Lawrence General Hospital
Table of Contents
- By Steven
- Published: Mar 17, 2023
- Last Updated: Mar 20, 2023
Lawrence General Hospital is a private facility located in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The hospital is a non-profit organization and offers patients throughout the surrounding area a variety of services. A total of 189 beds are contained within the facility, and it maintains a staff of approximately 2,000 people while earning about $281 million in annual revenue. This large-scale hospital recently suffered from a serious cyber attack that exposed many of its patients.
How Did the Attack Occur?
The attack on Lawrence General Hospital occurred when one or more hackers leveraged a network vulnerability to get into the hospital's file system. Once inside, the attacker began looking through thousands of documents and saving any useful information. Even the confidential health information was put at risk by this attack, and patients of the facility could have been exposed in the process.
What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?
While Lawrence General Hospital didn't specify what information was stolen in the recent breach, it's likely that protected health information was involved. The company is only legally required to disclose the breach to the Human Health Services office if health information is exposed for at least 500 individuals or more. This protected data includes things like lab test results, demographic information, mental health information, insurance information, and medical history. Patients of the facility that received a letter can assume their health information was exposed by this recent attack.
How Did Lawrence General Hospital Admit to the Breach?
Lawrence General Hospital sent a report to the Human Health Services office explaining the general impact of the data breach. This report doesn't list specific details but instead gives an overview of the scope of the breach. Approximately 76,371 patients were notified because of this attack, and each one of those individuals could be at risk. So far, the hospital hasn't released a statement to any news outlet regarding this attack. The information released about the breach has only been the minimum amount required by law, and it was reported directly to the agency.
What Will Become of the Stolen Information?
It's difficult to say what will happen with the stolen information, but if enough personal and financial data is taken, it will either be sold or used to commit fraud by the attacker. Individuals may have had their Social Security numbers and other private information exposed due to this attack, and all that data can be used for harmful means.
What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?
If you were one of the affected parties in this Lawrence General Hospital breach, you should take a few steps to protect yourself. Begin by getting a complete credit report to see if anything odd shows up. Consider investing in a credit monitoring service and potentially putting a freeze on your credit to keep others from accessing it. These measures will help to protect you against common fraud-related issues. It's also wise to watch over your financial accounts. This attack is a good reminder that even medical information isn't safe and that attackers can get access to private information in areas you least expect it.
