In January, a ransomware attack hit Frederick Health Medical Group — a major healthcare provider in Maryland — causing a data breach that affected nearly a million patients.
As announced in a relevant update to patients at the end of March, the cyberattack was detected on January 27. The organization immediately notified the competent authorities and assigned the investigation of the incident to a specialized company dealing with cyber incidents.
«"On January 27, 2025, we were subjected to a ransomware attack that affected our information systems," the organization's statement said. "The investigation revealed that an unauthorized attacker gained access to our network and copied certain files from a file share server.».
See also: Legends International reveals data breach
Frederick Health: Data Breach
The organization added that it has begun sending notifications to individuals whose personal data may have been exposed (provided sufficient contact information is available).
Depending on each individual's case, the perpetrators managed to extract a combination of sensitive personal data, such as:
- Patient names
- Addresses
- Dates of birth
- Social security numbers
- Driver's license numbers
- Medical data (e.g. medical record numbers, health insurance details and/or information regarding patient care)
Although Frederick Health did not initially disclose the exact number of people affected, it reported the incident to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on March 28. HHS updated the related breach list, confirming that the Frederick Health data breach affected a total of 934,326 patients.
See also: Landmark Admin data breach affects 1.6 million people
Although the healthcare provider described the incident as a attack ransomware, no known group has claimed responsibility, which may indicate that the organization paid the ransom demanded by the attackers.
Healthcare: More effective protection strategies
One of the most effective protection strategies is training staff. Staff who are informed about the techniques used by attackers can recognize and, to some extent, avoid cyberattacks.
Implementing up-to-date security protocols is another important strategy. This includes regularly updating software and systems, installing the latest security patches , and implementing procedures that protect data.
Using advanced security tools, such as systems prevention intrusion and cyberattack detection and prevention tools, can help address threats before they cause damage.
Additionally, organizations should implement access policies to control who has access to patient data. This may include the use of credentials, such as usernames and passwords ,as well as implementing policies that require staff to change their passwords regularly.
See also: 1.6 million people affected by data breach at Laboratory Services Cooperative
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They can also use external security services to monitor their networks for potential attacks. These services can include monitoring network traffic, detecting “anomalies” and responding to potential threats.
Finally, creating a breach response plan can be crucial. This plan should include threat analysis , attack identification, isolation of the compromised system, and restoration of systems to a secure state.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
