Patients who were the subject of the second largest HIPAA breach to date have filed a class action lawsuit. The suit alleges that Advocate Health Care did not take the proper precautions necessary to protect patients’ health information.
On July 15, 2013, four unencrypted laptops were stolen from an Advocate Health Care facility in Illinois. The laptops contained protected health information and Social Security numbers of more than 4 million patients.
The lawsuit claims that the laptops were stolen from an unmonitored room that had little protection to prevent unauthorized access. It goes on to claim that the hardware should have been safeguarded and the information on the hardware should have been encrypted in accordance with appropriate cyber-security protocols.
This class action suit drives home the importance of encrypting data and protecting computers containing sensitive data. Not only are companies subject to large fines and remedial action from the Department of Health and Human Services, they can also be subject to costly lawsuits from individuals.
