Information from 38,000 University of Chicago Medicine Medical Group patients has been pilfered following a breach of third-party debt collection agency Nationwide Recovery Services last July, reports CBS News Chicago.
Attackers were able to obtain UCM Medical Group patients' names, birthdates, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial data and/or medical details, according to UChicago Medicine officials, who noted that the intrusion did not affect University of Chicago Medical Center patients while advising impacted individuals to be vigilant of potential fraud in their credit reports and account statements. Such a disclosure comes a month after Chicago-based Loretto Hospital confirmed being subjected to a data breach and over a year after Lurie Children's Hospital disclosed experiencing prolonged disruptions following a Rhysida ransomware attack. "I don't think these individual breaches are necessarily connected per se. What it really speaks to, though, is the rising cybercrime targeting the healthcare industry, targeting hospitals," said cybersecurity expert Scott Schober.
Attackers were able to obtain UCM Medical Group patients' names, birthdates, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial data and/or medical details, according to UChicago Medicine officials, who noted that the intrusion did not affect University of Chicago Medical Center patients while advising impacted individuals to be vigilant of potential fraud in their credit reports and account statements. Such a disclosure comes a month after Chicago-based Loretto Hospital confirmed being subjected to a data breach and over a year after Lurie Children's Hospital disclosed experiencing prolonged disruptions following a Rhysida ransomware attack. "I don't think these individual breaches are necessarily connected per se. What it really speaks to, though, is the rising cybercrime targeting the healthcare industry, targeting hospitals," said cybersecurity expert Scott Schober.
