Hackers Successfully Breach UCLA Health System

UCLA Health (Los Angeles, CA, USA) admitted on July 17, 2015, that it has been hit by a cyber-attack, with hackers successfully accessing parts of the computer network that include personal and medical information.

UCLA Health first found evidence of suspicious activity in its network in October 2014; in May 2015, the hospital system determined the attackers accessed parts of its network that contained personal patient information, including names, addresses, birth dates, medical record numbers, social security number (SSN), Medicare or health plan ID numbers, with some of the information dating to 1990. UCLA Health said it currently has no evidence whether the cyber attacker actually acquired any personal or medical information of the 4.5 million individuals in the database.

While credit card and other financial information did not seem to be involved, UCLA is offering a year as of credit monitoring to people who had their SSN or Medicare ID numbers stored on the compromised network, and are working with investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI; Washington DC, USA) to solve the issue. To date, the UCLA breach is tied for the fourth largest breach ever reported, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS; Washington DC, USA).

“Our patients come first at UCLA Health and confidentiality is a critical part of our commitment to care. We sincerely regret any impact this incident may have on those we serve. We have taken significant steps to further protect data and strengthen our network against another cyber-attack,” said James Atkinson, MD, president of UCLA Hospital System.

UCLA Health operates four hospitals on two campuses, including the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the UCLA Medical Center of Santa Monica, the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA. It also has 150 primary and specialty offices throughout southern California.

Related Links:
UCLA Health
Federal Bureau of Investigation