Exploit: Phishing attack
Methodist Hospitals: Community-based healthcare system located in Gary, Indiana
Risk to Small Business: 1.222 = Extreme Risk: A successful phishing attack against two employees compromised the private health data for thousands of patients. The incident occurred in June, but the healthcare provider didn’t finish investigating the breach until August. It’s unclear why the company waited two months before making the breach public. Regardless, Methodist Hospitals will face intense regulatory scrutiny due to the nature of information involved.
Individual Risk: 2.142 = Severe: The compromised data was accessed on June 12th or between July 1st and July 8th. It included patient names, addresses, health insurance information, Social Security numbers, government ID information, passport numbers, financial account numbers, payment card information, electronic signatures, usernames, and passwords. This incredibly expansive data set has great value on the Dark Web, as it can be used to perpetuate additional cybercrimes. Therefore, those impacted by the breach should take every precaution to protect their data, including contacting their financial institutions and enrolling in credit and identity monitoring services.
Customers Impacted: 68,039
How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Today’s digital landscape is replete with threats, but companies are not defenseless. Phishing scams require employees to actively compromise their credentials, and comprehensive awareness training can equip team members to identify and report fraudulent communications, effectively rendering them useless and creating a safe environment for your customers’ data.
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.
