Hospital and healthcare provider, HCA Healthcare (HCA), has been hit by a data breach, which may have compromised the personal data of millions of patients.
Key Points to Remember
- HCA Healthcare, one of the largest operators of hospitals and healthcare facilities in the United States, said yesterday that its networks had been compromised by a data breach.
- Up to 11 million customers may have had their basic personal information, including name, date of birth and place of residence, stolen and leaked in an online forum.
- However, sensitive information such as credit cards, passwords, and social security numbers were not affected.
The personal information of up to 11 million HCA customers may have been stolen and leaked to an online forum, the company announced yesterday. The list of compromised data contained approximately 27 million rows and included customers' names, dates of birth, places of residence, phone numbers and other personal information.
However, medical records, including treatments, diagnoses, and health conditions were not included, nor were payment details or other sensitive personal information such as passwords, passwords, and passwords. driver's license or social security numbers.
The hackers could not be identified as part of an ongoing investigation, and so far there has been no further evidence of any a “malicious activity affecting the networks of HCA Healthcare”. the company said. The incident had little to no effect on the company's day-to-day operations, and management does not believe it will have a significant impact on its financial performance.
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HCA Healthcare operates 180 hospitals and over 2,300 facilities in 20 states and the UK, including outpatient centers and clinics.
What could this mean for you
If you received medical care at a hospital or facility owned and operated by HCA Healthcare, your personal information may have been disclosed during the recent data breach.
The company is actively working to identify and contact patients whose data may have been affected, and you may receive a call from an HCA representative within the next few days. HCA also said it would offer credit monitoring and identity protection services to customers if needed.
HCA Healthcare shares have rose 0.5% in early trading on Tuesday. They are up nearly 24% so far this year, far outpacing the broader S&P 500 healthcare sector, which is down 3.5% over the same period.
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Source: investopedia.com
