California Healthcare Network becomes a victim of a phishing attack, compromising 200,000 patients’ records

Risk to Small Business: 1.888 = Severe: Employees fell for a phishing scam that compromised patients’ protected health information (PHI). The company first discovered the breach on June 19, 2019, when it secured accounts by resetting login credentials. However, an additional investigation revealed that patient data was compromised in the breach. The California Healthcare Network is notifying patients of the incident and updating the email security standards, but the real test is certainly still ahead. Healthcare data breaches are the most expensive of any sector, and the company will undoubtedly endure intense regulatory scrutiny because of the sensitive nature of the breach.

Individual Risk: 2.428 = Severe: Hackers had access to patient data contained in employee email accounts. California Health Network declined to provide specific data categories, but healthcare records often include patients’ most sensitive personal data. The access is limited between June 11, 2019 and June 18, 2019, but the information has now been available for more than six months, so those impacted by the breach will want to work quickly to secure their data. The California Healthcare Network is offering free credit monitoring services to all victims.