New Mexico health system email hacks exposed info of 183,000 patients

Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare is notifying 183,000 patients that their private information was breached in a second email hack last year, according to local TV news website KRQE.

Four things to know:

1. Presbyterian, a nonprofit nine-hospital health system, first reported in June 2019 that an unauthorized individual had gained access to patient information through employees' email accounts in May 2019, and the email accounts included patient and health plan member names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and clinical information.

2. On July 31, 2019, the health system learned about a second incident of an unauthorized person gaining access to employee emails through a phishing scam, and at least one of the employee email accounts included provider names and social security numbers.

3. After the phishing attacks, the health system developed a dedicated call center for patients affected by the incident.

4. The health system said health records or billing systems had not been accessed and there is no evidence that patient information was misused.

More articles on cybersecurity:
Health systems can use PHI to contact former COVID-19 patients on blood, plasma donation without violating HIPAA: 3 details
10 common reasons for HIPAA violations
MU Health Care reports PHI breach due to affiliated students' email accounts