Patient Monitoring Firm Reports Theft of Laptop Containing EHRs

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/11/27/patientmonitoring-firm-reports-theft-of-laptop-containing-ehrs.aspx

iHealthBeat
November 27, 2012

Alere Home Monitoring, a provider of patient monitoring and management 
services, recently notified about 116,000 individuals about a data breach 
involving their personal health information, Modern Healthcare reports.

About the Breach

Alere did not specify when the theft occurred but said a company-owned 
laptop was stolen from the locked car of an Alere employee.

The laptop contained patients' electronic health records, which include 
data such as:

     Names;
     Addresses;
     Dates of birth;
     Social Security numbers; and
     Diagnostic codes.

Alere did not indicate whether the information was encrypted or if the 
laptop was password-protected (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 11/21). However, 
the company said it has no reason to believe that patient information has 
been accessed or used inappropriately (Alere release, 11/20).

[...]
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