Millions impacted by data breaches at Blue Shield of California, mammography service and more
Recent data breaches have exposed the sensitive healthcare information of millions, particularly involving Blue Shield of California, which reported that 4.7 million people were affected. From April 2021 to January 2024, the insurer inadvertently shared members’ protected health information through Google Analytics due to misconfiguration, prompting concerns about privacy and data security across the healthcare sector.
Multiple healthcare organisations have reported breaches, with notable incidents affecting Onsite Mammography, impacting over 357,000 individuals.
Source: https://therecord.media/healthcare-data-breaches-blue-shield-california
Key Points
- Blue Shield of California reported data leaks affecting 4.7 million individuals due to Google Analytics’ misconfiguration.
- The leaked data included sensitive information, such as medical records and personal identifiers, potentially used for targeted advertising.
- Since early April, 17 healthcare organisations have reported data breaches, indicating a troubling trend.
- The Onsite Mammography breach alone impacted 357,265 individuals, leading to possible class action lawsuits.
- Regulatory warnings have been issued to healthcare providers about the risks of using tracking technologies for patient data.
Why should I read this?
If you care about your healthcare privacy (and who doesn’t?), this article is a must-read. With huge breaches like this, it shows just how vulnerable our sensitive data can be. Plus, it highlights ongoing risks and the potential for more incidents, which could impact anyone receiving healthcare. Stay in the loop; you don’t want to be caught off guard!