The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reached a resolution agreement involving a phishing cyberattack. The organization reported to OCR a breach that occurred in May 2021. The breach happened when a hacker accessed an email account containing patients' electronic protected health information. The covered entity, a consortium of healthcare providers specializing in emergency and occupational medicine, notified all patients since it could not identify who was impacted. This is the first reported breach stemming from a phishing attack.
The OCR determined that the covered entity did not conduct a security risk analysis and did not have procedures for regular reviews of information system activity.
The resolution agreement includes a $480,000 settlement payment and a two-year monitored Corrective Action Plan. The covered entity must create and implement a risk management plan, conduct an annual risk assessment, develop policies for reviews of information system activity, and train its workforce members.
This case emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity protections and highlights employees’ roles in security protocol. Even a click on a phishing email can result in costly HIPAA violations.
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