Confidential Patient Data Sent to Wrong Company

["Fergie" <fergdawg () netzero net>]

Via NetworkWorld.

[snip]

A small Lockport, Manitoba-based distributor of herbal remedies has for the past 15 months been mistakenly receiving 
faxes containing confidential information belonging to hundreds of patients with Prudential Financial's insurance 
group. The data exposed in the breach --and faxed to the company by doctors and clinics across the U.S.-- included the 
patients' Social Security numbers, bank details and health care information.

So far, at least, efforts to deal with the issue appear to have failed, said Jody Baxmeyer, vice president of marketing 
at North Regent RX, the company that's been receiving the faxes.

The situation has been caused by North Regent's toll-free fax number, which is nearly identical to one used by 
Prudential to receive medical claims-related information from doctors, Baxmeyer said. In fact, the two numbers differ 
by only one digit, Baxmeyer said.

[snip]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/020606-data-security.html

- ferg

--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawg () netzero net or fergdawg () sbcglobal net
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/


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