Cybercriminals breach Quest Diagnostics’ lab management system, gaining access to patient records
One of the largest medical lab groups in the U.S. confirmed in a regulatory filing that it was the victim of a cyberattack, resulting in patient medical records being exposed to hackers.
Quest Diagnostics confirmed the data breach in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), writing that it learned about the breach on Oct. 21. The company said it took measures to “contain the activity, assess and investigate the nature and scope of the incident and implement appropriate remedial measures.”
The breach occurred on Quest’s Quanum Lab Services Manager system, the company confirmed. The portal is used by providers, hospitals and patients to submit tests and review results.
Quest added that the system was shut down while it assessed the scope of the breach and secured its network.
“The company has notified federal law enforcement authorities and engaged external cybersecurity experts to assist in the investigation and response,” Quest told the SEC. “While the full scope of unauthorized access remains under investigation, at this time the company believes that an unauthorized party accessed certain patient records.”
As for what patient information was leaked, that has yet to be revealed.
HealthExec reached out to Quest for more information.
Business as usual
While the incident is still being investigated—and the exact methods cybercriminals used to gain access to the lab services system are unknown, as is the number of victims—Quest said it does not expect to take an immediate financial hit from the data breach, as its normal business operations were not significantly disrupted.
Quest said its ability to fill lab orders and “serve patients” has not been impacted.
The report to the SEC was filed the same day the company said it recognized that an intrusion on its system had occurred. While it had an investor conference call the following day, company leadership did not provide any new details.
Its stock has not taken any hit, standing at $242.95 per share currently, up over 2% over the last 30 days.
To date, no known ransomware gang has claimed credit for the attack.
Quest Diagnostics operates 7,700 facilities across the U.S. and Canada, providing routine and specialty lab services for tens of millions of people every year.
HealthExec will update this story if we receive a statement from the company.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.