Breach, Data Security

Florida medical center hit with breach for third time in two years

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Aventura Hospital and Medical Center has reported a data breach; the third time in two years the facility has been hit. The personal information of more than 82,000 people is in danger of exposure, according to U.S. Health and Human Services records, owing to a breach between Sept. 13, 2012 and June 9, 2014 at the Aventura, Fla.-based medical center.

How many victims? 82,601. 

What type of personal information? Names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. No personal financial or health information was accessed, according to Valesco Ventures, which provides hospital staffing and ancillary services, and notified Aventura of the incident.

What happened? The personal information may have been accessed by a former employee, according to Valesco.

What was the response? Aventura and Valesco are working with law enforcement "to identify and prosecute all responsible parties." All impacted individuals are being notified.

Details: Once law enforcement was notified, the hospital, working with Valesco Ventures, suspended the suspected employee's access to computer and physical access and started an assessment of how to "mitigate risks to all patients." A former mental health technician at the facility, Felicidy Butler, has been charged for her involvement in a previous breach at Aventura. The 26-year-old Miami resident was found to be in possession of 15 or more Social Security numbers. The indictment alleges that Butler also had names and birth dates of two identity theft victims. Local 10 reports that the investigation is now being pursued on a federal level.

Quote: "Valesco Ventures and Aventura Hospital are assisting law enforcement to identify and prosecute all responsible parties." –Terry Meadows, M.D., manager, Valesco

Source: local10.com, “Aventura Hospital and Medical Center reports data breach,” Sept. 17, 2014.

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