The contact information of hundreds of healthcare professionals was left inadvertently exposed by education company PlatformQ.
The data leak was first reported Aug 5. by cybersecurity researcher VPN Overview as affecting nearly 100,000 healthcare staffers. But a PlatformQ spokesperson disputed the number of providers affected, that personal phone numbers may have been revealed, and that it was part of a marketing effort for a prescription drug.
"The 458 records impacted were properly informed and provided steps to mitigate any potential risks," the PlatformQ spokesperson, Becky Goplin, told Becker's. "We continue to increase our level of cybersecurity and employee awareness. We frequently audit our environments to ensure that user data is not made available."
The account info could have included personal emails, Ms. Goplin acknowledged. Some of the providers work for major hospitals and health systems around the country.
"The information only applied to the individuals who worked for those institutions and who self-registered for our educational programs," Ms. Goplin added. "Hospitals and health systems are not our clients, and we do not have any hospital or health system data."