A cyber security attack on patient data for approximately 4.5 million patients of Community Health Systems-affiliated physicians apparently ranks as the second-largest HIPAA breach ever, in terms of patients affected, according to an Office of Civil Rights database.
Community Health Systems has not yet responded to a request for further comment on the breach.
The attack on CHS, committed by a Chinese group that accessed personal information including names, birth dates, addresses and social security numbers, would be second only to a 2011 breach at Tricare Management Activity that affected 4.9 million people, according to this database.
That breach, which took place at a military health care provider, involved the loss of back-up tapes containing personal information from military beneficiaries’ electronic health records, Healthcare IT News reported.
via Community Health Systems’ HIPAA breach among largest ever reported – Nashville Business Journal.