Over 260K exposed in St. Louis healthcare hack

Over 260K exposed in St. Louis healthcare hack

Esse Health, one of the largest independent primary care groups in the Midwest, has suffered a hacker attack. Attackers were able to access a trove of sensitive and personal patient data.

Unknown attackers penetrated the primary care provider in late April of this year, accessing and stealing files that contained sensitive patient data, Esse Health said in a breach notification sent out to numerous potential victims.

According to information the organization submitted to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, over 263,000 individuals were exposed in the hacker attack. While exposed details varied from individual to individual, attackers obtained:

• Names
• Addresses
• Dates of birth
• Health insurance information
• Medical records numbers
• Patient account numbers
• Other health information

Malicious actors can exploit the stolen details for identity theft, insurance fraud, and blackmail. Moreover, cybercriminals seek medical details as it enables them to commit insurance fraud and submit fraudulent claims for prescription drugs.

Another area of risk is targeted phishing campaigns, in which threat actors impersonate doctors and other medical professionals and demand that patients reveal sensitive information or peddle malware.

“Although at this time there is no indication that any of the involved information has been misused, as an added precaution, we are offering you identity protection services at no charge,” reads Esse Health’s breach notice.

The impacted organization operates 45 offices throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area, offering numerous services from family medicine to radiology.