PharMerica’s Major Breach Raises Concerns Over Healthcare Data Security

PharMerica Healthcare, a leading provider of pharmacy services for patients under long-term care, disclosed a breach of their systems earlier this year that resulted in the leak of personal information of more than 5.8 million deceased people. The cyberattack, which occurred in March, was carried out by an unauthorized third party who stole sensitive information such as the deceased person’s name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, medications, and health insurance details. Similarly, NextGen Healthcare also disclosed a data breach by a third party, where an unauthorized actor accessed a database with information on more than 1 million people.

The leaks including Social Security and health insurance information pose an immediate threat as they could be used for identity theft and medical benefits fraud, respectively. As victims in this case are deceased, their relatives are not likely to monitor their credit reports regularly, making it even more challenging to detect and prevent any cybercrime incidents related to the stolen data. The responsibility of checking if there are any debts lies with the families of the deceased persons.

The data breach is a devastating incident in terms of size and the severity of what was leaked. Cybercriminals target the elderly across the globe, and the PharMerica incident disproportionately affects the elderly who are frequently targeted by fraud. Caretakers of patients under long-term care must remain vigilant for potential phishing attempts that may use the stolen sensitive data, and relatives of deceased patients should be alert for any accounts and lines of credit opened in their name.

PharMerica has confirmed that they have conducted a review of the cybersecurity incident and has taken extensive measures to reduce the risk of a similar incident in the future. However, healthcare providers need to ensure the security of their systems and databases through regular vulnerability scans, network security assessments, and penetration testing to identify security loopholes in their systems and take appropriate measures to prevent future cyberattacks.

In conclusion, the PharMerica data breach is a severe issue that highlights the importance of cybersecurity in the healthcare industry. The healthcare providers must ensure the security of their systems and databases, regularly educate their employees, caregivers, and patients on security best practices, and take proactive measures to enhance the technical security measures to prevent future cyberattacks. It is the responsibility of healthcare providers to ensure the security and safety of patients’ sensitive data while they are under their care.

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