Recently, a medical software company based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, reported that the private information of 3.9 million injured patients nationwide was exposed when their network was hacked earlier in the year. According to Click On Detroit, the company said that the exposed information includes names, addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, and health records. It is highly likely that many auto accident victims lost personal information in this hack. They also said that the people affected by this hacking includes patients of Texas-based Concentra, which operates in 38 states with over 300 medical centers, Franciscan St. Francis Health in Indianapolis, and Rochester Medical Group in the Detroit area.
Earlier this year, in May, there was another incident where hackers swiped data from a health system. This was in South Bend, Indiana, and 220,000 patients and employees had their information compromised from a phishing attack. Similar to the recent hack in Fort Wayne, hackers stole confidentially information including names, ID numbers, dates of birth, drivers license information, and other medical related information. With this attack, affected patients were issued a year of credit monitoring services by the health system. It will be interesting to see how the Fort Wayne medical group compensates their patients.
With technology and computers specifically advancing. Phishing attacks are becoming more popular. According to Get Cyber Safe, over 150 million phishing emails are sent out each day. Most of these emails are sent to your spam folder so you do not have to worry about them. However, around 10% of these emails make it through to your inbox. On average, half of these emails are opened, and 80,000 people fall for a scam each day, revealing their personal information to hackers.
If you are involved in any type of personal injury accident, you have more than likely given your personal health care information to your treating medical providers. Phishing attacks are becoming more popular and you should be careful and smart about who holds your personal information. If you've been involved in any type of personal injury accident, contact an attorney at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our lawyers specialize in all types of injury cases. Call us today for a free consultation at 844.4MI.FIRM