UW Med Center admits hackers broke into records of patients

[Marjorie Simmons <lawyer () carpereslegalis com>]

http://news.bellinghamherald.com/stories/20001209/LocalState/35263.shtml
UW Med Center admits hackers broke into records of patients
CRIME: University didn't know files were stolen.

The Associated Press

SEATTLE -- University of Washington Medical Center officials
confirmed Friday that a hacker made a "sophisticated attack" on
their computer system and accessed hospital records for thousands
of patients.

At issue were check lists from two hospital databases containing
information on at least 5,000 cardiology and rehabilitation-medicine
patients -- including names, addresses, birth dates, heights and
weights, Social Security numbers and the medical procedure
undergone.

The school is cooperating with federal law enforcement officials.

The security breach was reported earlier this week on the Internet
news service SecurityFocus.com, which said a Dutch man had
hacked into the hospital network in June and July. SecurityFocus
said the hacker downloaded computerized admissions records for
4,000 heart patients.

Early Thursday, Tom Martin, director of the hospital's Information
Systems, called the report "completely inaccurate," saying the
hacker had gained entry only to portions of the academic computer
system.

Martin backtracked later in the day, when he issued a statement
confirming that "someone did, in fact, gain criminal access to a
limited number of administrative databases."

At a Friday news conference, Martin said the hospital did not have
evidence that the hacker had gained such access until Thursday,
when news organizations faxed the hospital copies of material from
those databases.

~~~~~
Marjorie Simmons, Esq.
lawyer () carpereslegalis com
http://www.carpereslegalis.com

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