if your healthcare data If 2024 isn’t ruined yet, then you either don’t know yet or you should consider yourself extremely lucky.

That’s because 2024 is going to be a nightmare year for U.S. healthcare institutions and patients 184,111,469 records was breached. This is equivalent to 53% of the US population in 2024.

This staggering number is a significant increase from previous years and sets a new record for medical data breaches.

The healthcare industry faces unprecedented cybersecurity challenges, with attacks becoming more frequent, sophisticated and damaging than ever before.

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Illustration of hacker stealing healthcare data at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

Health check or data breach?

Being in the hospital is stressful enough. This puts extra pressure on them Change Healthcare’s 100 million customerswhose data was exposed following a breach orchestrated by the BlackCat ransomware group. The breach not only exposed sensitive health information but also caused widespread disruption to claims processing. Patients and healthcare providers across the country are facing disruption as the breach impacts their ability to obtain and pay for care.

The second major breach occurred at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, in which 13.4 million people are threatened. The breach involves unauthorized access and the use of tracking technology that transmits user interactions to third parties.

Illustration of need to lock medical data (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

Hackers claim company that tracks and sells Americans’ location data has been hit by massive breach

Your health data was compromised, so what?

You will receive a notification letter, but please note that it may take several months to reach you (as is the case with victims) Ascension Health data breach). The consequences are real and can be very painful. Medical identity theft directly impacts patient health and safety. This occurs when criminals use stolen personal health information to obtain medical services or medications on someone else’s behalf. It may result in the creation of incorrect medical records, which may include inaccurate diagnoses, allergies or treatments.

As you may have guessed, this can also result in financial repercussions, such as patients receiving fraudulent claims and bills for services they did not receive. Resolving these issues with insurance companies and health care providers takes time and mental strength. And you may not be eager to see your compromised health care provider again. This is normal. A study shows Up to 54% of patients considered changing healthcare providers after data breach.

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Doctor viewing medical data on screen (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

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When health data falls into the hands of data brokers

Sensitive health information can be easily combined with data brokers’ personal identifiers to create comprehensive profiles, Criminals can take advantage of. As a reminder, data brokers are companies that specialize in collecting, processing, and selling personal information from a variety of sources, including public records, online activity, and social media.

They aggregate this data to create detailed consumer profiles that can be sold to marketers, insurance companies, and other entities for a variety of purposes. The more detailed the profile, the higher the potential for identity theft and potential discrimination in employment and insurance. Employers may make hiring decisions based on perceived health risks, while insurance companies may deny coverage or raise premiums.

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Doctors and patients in medical facilities (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)

The Hidden Cost of Free Apps: Your Personal Information

Wash your hands and delete data

You can’t prevent a data breach, but you can minimize its consequences by reducing your overall digital footprint.

1. Make your social media private: Restrict access to your personal information And limit what strangers know about your life and underlying health conditions. Make sure your privacy settings are robust and updated regularly to prevent unauthorized data collection.

2. Deletion of your personal data from the data broker’s database: You can search your name on the people search website and request deletion one by one, or use the data deletion service. A data deletion service automatically deletes your data for you, letting you track the exact location of your data and whether it has been deleted, not only on people search sites (public data proxies) but also on hidden private databases that you can’t trace. Look for yourself (These are the worst).

Once your data has been deleted, Data deletion service Monitor the data broker’s data and delete it again if necessary (as there is a chance that it will be relisted after a while). This way, you prevent data brokers from compiling your complete profile and selling it to the first bidder, whether it’s a hacker, a marketing agency, or an insurance company. Check out my preferred data removal services here.

3. Delete all unused apps on your phone: Unused applications can be hidden gateways to data leaks and potential security vulnerabilities. regular review and Delete application What you no longer use or don’t need.

4. Check the permissions you want to keep: View each application’s Access your personal data, location and device capabilities Make sure you don’t inadvertently share unnecessary information. Be especially cautious with health and fitness tracking apps.

5. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) while browsing: Encrypt your online activity and mask your digital location to add an extra layer of anonymity and protection. a reliable VPN Can help protect your personal information from potential interceptors and data miners. For the best VPN software, see my expert reviews of the best VPNs for private browsing on your computer. Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The reality of a healthcare data breach is daunting, but it’s not entirely out of your control. While you can’t prevent a breach from happening, you can take steps to minimize the risk and protect your personal information. Think of it like putting a lock on your digital door: Set your social media to private, use a VPN, and clear out unused apps. Remember, the less information you leave behind, the harder it is for bad guys to exploit it. Be vigilant and don’t let your data be used to someone else’s advantage.

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What are your thoughts on the growing risks to personal information? What measures have you taken to protect your data? Please write to us Cyberguy.com/contact.

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