DES MOINES, Iowa — 2023 was a record-breaking year for security breaches in the health care field, according to a new report by The HIPAA Journal.
Iowa has been no stranger to the attacks. Across the state, several providers have had to tell patients their personal information may have been stolen.
“These health care or medical institutions are prime targets for attackers," said Brandon Potter, chief technology officer for ProCircular. "The data that's involved in some of these breaches contain a lot of information that these threat actors can then sell."
Cyber hackers, otherwise known as threat actors, have become more skilled with the advancement of technology. Unlike ethical hackers, attackers do not request permission from organizations, instead looking to steal personal information for financial gain.
“They work together just like any legitimate business, but for nefarious purposes," Potter told Local 5.
Most recently, Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons sent out hundreds of letters to current and former patients, notifying them of a security breach that took place in early 2023. Similar instances were reported by the University of Iowa Community HomeCare and MercyOne Clinton.
These health care security breaches are happening not just here in Iowa, but everywhere.
In a report published Thursday, The HIPPA Journal revealed that more than 133 million medical records nationwide were breached in 2023. That tops the previous record number from 2022.
“I think people should be concerned, right? Their data, their social security number, their identity, may be out there," Potter said.
Are these companies and providers to blame?
Potter says it can take months before they become aware of a breach, and that they must be investigated before patients are notified.
“By taking that time to investigate, these third-party experts are likely able to identify the scope of what the breach would be," he said. "The goal is that we identify this, we find out what really is affected, and then we have the answers to put out there.”
Now, these organizations are encouraging patients to be proactive and take steps to keep your information and credit safe.
“Some things you can do is enroll in credit monitoring as a proactive measure before this happens. I'd even take a more proactive approach and I actually freeze my credit," Potter said.
ProCircular warns that an individual's personal information is likely out there on various platforms, even if you're unaware of it. Potter believes everyone should operate as if their information is already out there.
"You want to operate in a manner that if it's out there... but outside of that, you got to have a little trust where everybody's doing their best for the most part," he told Local 5. "It's hard to place blame."
Keep in mind that hackers and scammers are on high alert during tax season, which is quickly approaching.
The IRS has provided several ways to avoid identity theft and protect your information. For more information, click here.