Partners HealthCare System

Fifty employees providing unauthorized access to their email accounts as a result of a phishing email sent to 392 employees of Partners HealthCare, the covered entity (CE). Those email accounts contained the protected health information (PHI) of 3,321 individuals and included names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, diagnoses, medications, and other treatment information. The CE provided breach notification to HHS, affected individuals, and the media. Following the breach, the CE strengthened password requirements, implemented two-factor authentication, and conducted additional training and awareness sessions regarding phishing campaigns. OCR obtained assurances that the CE implemented the corrective actions listed above.