The covered entity (CE), Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, reported that it experienced a cyber-attack that compromised the protected health information (PHI) of 5,239 individuals. Specifically, the hacker was able to gain access to the online portal and impersonate several employees by calling the solutions center and requesting a password reset. The employees at the solutions center did not follow established guidelines for password reset requests and successfully changed the passwords for the hacker. The PHI involved included names, member identification numbers, claims and health insurance information, and other treatment information. The CE notified HHS, affected individuals, and the media. In response to the breach, the CE sanctioned the responsible employees, implemented additional technical safeguards, updated its policies and procedures, and retrained its staff.
