HIPAA fines Rhode Island Ear, Nose and Throat Physicians Inc. as hackers access 2,500 patient’s information

Exploit: Unauthorized database access
Rhode Island Ear, Nose, and Throat Physicians Inc.: Specialty healthcare practice providing family care for diseases of the ears, nose, and throat

Risk to Small Business: 1.666 = Severe:  Hackers accessed a patient database that contained personally identifiable information for patients served by the practice between May 1st and June 12th. Third-party forensic IT specialists determined that information wasn’t copied or downloaded. Regardless, the practice will incur the cost of updating their protocols, and also be subjected to regulatory scrutiny. This could eventually result in additional HIPAA fines, which will negatively affect their bottom line.

Individual Risk: 2.285 = Severe: For those impacted by the breach, personal information, including names, dates of birth, and clinical data was exposed. In some cases, patients had their Social Security numbers compromised as well. Since this information can quickly spread online and onto the Dark Web, identity monitoring services can help identify potential misuses in the future.

Customers Impacted:  2,493
How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Personal data can quickly make its way to the Dark Web marketplaces where it is often used to facilitate crippling attacks. Therefore, businesses bear the responsibility of protecting and informing their customers of what happens to compromised information. With the CCPA on the brink of being implemented, healthcare companies aren’t the only ones that face the threat of legal penalties.

Risk Levels:

1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk

*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.