The covered entity (CE), Sandhills Medical Foundation, reported that its business associate (BA) experienced a ransomware attack that affected the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of 39,602 individuals. The ePHI involved included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, drivers’ license numbers, diagnoses and conditions, financial information, and claims information. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, the media, and provided substitute notice. The CE also provided complimentary credit monitoring services to affected individuals. In response to the breach, the BA strengthened its technical safeguards to better protect ePHI.
