(RightIsRight.co) – Americans have been hit by a massive healthcare data breach that exposed over 910,000 patients to identity theft and fraud risks.
Telehealth platform ConnectOnCall compromised sensitive patient information including Social Security numbers.
The data breach put the personal information of more than 910,000 patients at risk between February and May 2024.
The compromised information includes names, phone numbers, medical record numbers, birth dates, health conditions, treatments, prescriptions and Social Security numbers.
The amount of personal data is a goldmine for identity thieves and fraudsters, potentially leading to severe financial and personal consequences for the victims.
Phreesia-owned ConnectOnCall discovered the breach on May 12, 2024, and claims to have taken immediate action. However, the damage was already done.
Since then, the company has taken the platform offline for “security improvements.” Still, this reactive approach is too late for the hundreds of thousands of Americans whose private information was stolen.
As more medical services move online, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of such breaches only increases.
Meanwhile, Phreesia claims to offer identity and credit monitoring services to those with compromised Social Security numbers.
The core of the issue is that health data is permanent. This means the information can be exploited for years, long after any temporary monitoring services expire.
Americans are advised to take immediate steps to protect themselves, including monitoring their accounts, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and being vigilant against phishing scams.
📢 Over 900,000 individuals impacted in the ConnectOnCall data breach! This highlights the ongoing risks of unsecured systems and the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures. 🛡️ #DataBreach #CyberSecurity #Privacy pic.twitter.com/8CzraJBlRu
— MainNerve LLC (@MainNerve) December 23, 2024
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