The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) has six regional locations and assists those with behavioral health and developmental needs. Every year, they serve thousands within Harris County and deliver over a million services nationwide. In November, Harris experienced a network disruption; an unauthorized actor accessed and compromised the data of 238,463 individuals within Harris’ network.

Singing River Health System (SRHS) is a healthcare network located in the tail of Mississippi (and northern Alabama). They provide a comprehensive network of medical services for residents, including cancer, emergency, hospice, pediatrics, and urgent care. SRHS’ emergency departments at Gulfport Hospital, Ocean Springs Hospital, and Pascagoula Hospital serve over 100,000 patients yearly.

Hackers want stolen medical records to commit identity theft, use the stolen data as a ransom, sell it on the dark web or impersonate the victim to receive medical services. Medical records are valuable to cybercriminals as they allow cybercriminals to commit fraud and go undetected longer than they can with other Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Electrostim Medical Services Inc. (EMSI) is a healthcare servicer in Tampa, Florida. They create and disperse home electrical stimulation devices, brace accessories, pain management solutions, and physical rehabilitation tools. They offer a range of products, from wearable, flexible garments to electrotherapy devices for pain relief. EMSI serves over 70,000 patients and employs another 400 from the Tampa Bay area.

The healthcare industry is no exception to the rapid levels of transformation we’re seeing across multiple industries right now. As more facilities begin to leverage electronic health records (EHRs) and internet-connected medical devices for patient care, organizations are becoming more reliant on advanced technologies. While these changes have helped advance patient care in many ways, they have also introduced the healthcare sector to greater levels of risk.

Integris Health is one of Oklahoma’s largest medical networks; they operate hospitals, clinics, and urgent care from their 24 non-profit campuses. Integris commands over 1,800 patient beds across its facilities, with nearly as many physicians. At the end of November, Integris published a notice on their website; not only had cybercriminals breached their security and accessed patient data—the criminals also began extorting their victims.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) is a three-location care network that delivers solutions for cancer patients. They are an independent organization that provides experience for the University of Washington’s Medicine programs. FHCC’s multiple locations allow for over 400 treatment trials, giving even patients with advanced diagnoses hope for the future.

Our first breach report of 2024 concerns Boston’s retired Fallon Ambulance Service (FAS). When operating, FAS was a medical transcription company serving emergency services and other affiliated companies. Transformative Healthcare (TH) oversaw FAS as a support component of their telephone services. TH absorbed FAS in December 2022 but retained patient data in compliance with their legal obligations.