Ascension says recent data breach affects over 430,000 patients

Ascension, one of the largest private healthcare systems in the United States, has revealed that a data breach disclosed last month affects the personal and healthcare information of over 430,000 patients. The healthcare network has over 142,000 employees, operates 142 hospitals nationwide, and reported a revenue of $28.3 billion in 2023. As Ascension revealed in breach notification letters sent to affected individuals in April, their information was stolen in a data theft attack that impacted a former business partner in December. Depending on the impacted patient, the attackers could access personal health information related to inpatient visits, including the physician's name, admission and discharge dates, diagnosis and billing codes, medical record number, and insurance company name. They could also gain access to personal information, including name, address, phone number(s), email address, date of birth, race, gender, and Social Security numbers (SSNs). "On December 5, 2024, ... Read full article.