Healthcare hacking spree continues as another 225K exposed

US healthcare provider Regional Care, Inc. (RCI) has contacted nearly a quarter of a million people whose data was exposed in a hacker attack.

Healthcare organizations remain a top priority for malicious actors. The latest victim, RCI, has reported that attackers penetrated its defenses in mid-September 2024. According to the company’s Maine Attorney General filings, 225K people were affected.

The report reveals that victims’ names and other personal identifiers were exposed in the attack, which was discovered nearly a week after taking place. The Nebraska-headquartered organization claims that “an unauthorized party potentially accessed and/or acquired a limited number of files” from its systems.

Numerous healthcare organizations have been targeted recently. The Center for Vein Restoration (CVR), a Maryland-headquartered clinic, suffered a major data breach that affected 446K individuals, while an attack on the Massachusetts-based Anna Jaques Hospital (AJH) exposed over 316,000 people.

Attackers target healthcare organizations for two primary reasons: they’re often poorly protected, and the data they keep is extremely valuable. For example, attackers can utilize leaked details for health identity fraud, enabling malicious actors to obtain prescription medication.

Like many other organizations facing cyberattacks, RCI will offer impacted individuals complimentary identity protection services. The company stressed that there is no evidence of any reports of “identity fraud or improper use of your information as a direct result of this incident.”