Hackers break into Florida healthcare giant’s network, gaining access to data on 1.3 million people
Hackers broke into the computer network of a large Florida health system that contained sensitive personal health and financial information on more than 1.3 million people, the system announced Saturday.
On October 15, 2021, an intruder accessed Social Security numbers, birth dates, insurance information and other medical data via a third-party provider with access to Broward Health’s online system. The network of more than 30 healthcare sites serving patients across Broward County, Florida, noticed the breach four days later and notified the FBI and Department of Justice.
Approximately 473 of the cybersecurity breach victims live in Maine, according to a document submitted to the Office of the Maine Attorney General.
“In response to this intrusion, Broward Health is taking steps to prevent recurrence of similar incidents, which include the ongoing investigation, a password reset with enhanced security measures across the enterprise, and the implementation of multifactor authentication for all users of its systems,” the health system said in a notice posted to its website.
Broward said it has no evidence that the information was misused, but noted the data was removed from its system.
The DOJ asked Broward to delay its notification to avoid interfering with the ongoing investigation.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.