200,000 VA Records Exposed Online

Exposed data included patient names, birth dates, medical information, contact information and physician details

By Dan Hounsell


As healthcare IT managers work diligently to shore up breaches in their cybersecurity defenses in an effort to protect valuable patient and research data, health systems continue to find gaps in their organizations’ defenses.

A database containing medical records of almost 200,000 U.S. military veterans was recently discovered to have been exposed online by a vendor contracted by the Veterans Administration, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. It appears that a researcher was attempting to find security deficiencies and flaws in United Valor Solutions systems. VA officials do not believe there was a data breach; rather, this was done for research purposes at the request of the contractor, United Valor Solutions.

The exposed data included patient names, birth dates, medical information, contact information and physician details. The database also exposed unencrypted passwords and billing information.



May 17, 2021


Topic Area: Information Technology


Recent Posts

Healthy Buildings, Healthy Futures: IWBI and Georgetown Convene Policy Leaders in D.C.

The second annual Healthy Building Policy Summit unites stakeholders to advance policies that make every building a catalyst for well-being, resilience and thriving communities.


California Bill Could Shift Workers' Comp Burden for Hospitals

SB 632 would presume more than half of hospital injury claims are job-related, raising cost, staffing and liability concerns for facilities leaders.


Sturdy Health Announces Emergency Department Expansion and Modernization

The first floor emergency department will be 38,000 square feet.


Sabine County Hospital Falls Victim to Data Breach

There is no evidence suggesting that any of this information was accessed or misused.


Rethinking Sinks with Infection Control in Mind

Innovations in infection prevention and control can kill microbes and prevent the growth of harmful biofilms.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.