Tampa General Hospital Says Hackers Exfiltrated the Data of 1.2 Million Patients
Tampa General Hospital has recently confirmed that hackers gained access to its network and stole files containing the protected health information of up to 1.2 million patients. A security breach was detected on May 31, 2023, when suspicious activity was identified within its network. The affected systems were immediately taken offline to prevent further unauthorized access and a third-party digital forensics firm was engaged to investigate the incident and determine the nature and scope of the attack.
The investigation confirmed that unauthorized individuals had access to its network for three weeks between May 12, and May 30, 2023, during which time they exfiltrated files containing patient information. The information compromised in the incident varied from individual to individual and may have included names, phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, patient account numbers, dates of service, health insurance information, and limited treatment information. Tampa General Hospital confirmed that the hackers did not gain access to its electronic medical record system.
Tampa General Hospital said this was an attempted ransomware attack and while data theft occurred, its security systems prevented files from being encrypted. Additional technical security measures have now been implemented to harden its systems and prevent further data breaches and network monitoring has been enhanced to ensure that any future security breaches are detected rapidly.
Notification letters will be mailed to affected individuals when contact information has been verified. Tampa General Hospital said affected individuals will be offered complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
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Update: The breach has recently been reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights as affecting up to 1,313,636 individuals.
