Missing flash drive cause of Kaiser breach

The protected health information of more than 49,000 patients at Kaiser’s Anaheim Medical Center is at risk after a computer flash drive went missing, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The flash drive was reported missing on Sept. 25 from inside the hospital’s nuclear medicine department. Information at risk include patient names, dates of birth, medical record numbers and the types and amounts of specific medications. No financial information, including Social Security numbers, were compromised.

The missing data weren’t encrypted nor password protected, thus Kaiser is encouraging patients to monitor their medical records for fraudulent activities, according to the article.

"Kaiser Permanente takes the protection of our members' personal and health information seriously, and we apologize for this occurrence," Kaiser spokesperson Peggy Hinz said in statement.