Our data is not safe in the hands of the healthcare system - Over 5.4 Million Affected in Healthcare Data Breach

A data breach at medical billing company Episource has exposed the personal and health information of more than 5.4 million people across the US.

The breach, discovered on February 6 2025, allowed cybercriminals to access and copy files containing sensitive data. An internal investigation found that the attackers were inside the company’s systems for about 10 days, between January 27 and February 6. Episource temporarily shut down its systems to prevent further intrusion and notified law enforcement.

The compromised data varies by individual but includes names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. In many cases, the breach also involved Social Security numbers, dates of birth, insurance policy details, Medicaid and Medicare details, and protected health information (PHI) such as diagnoses, medications, test results and records of medical treatment.

“This breach signals that threat actors are shifting their focus from hospitals and clinics to third-party providers, because this approach allows them to get access to massive amounts of PHI at a time,” said Piyush Pandey, CEO at Pathlock.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/54-million-affected-episource/

Our data is not safe in the healthcare system. And it's not needed. Example: Look up how to treat a sprained ankle. Try it yourself, ctrl+f, and look for where a "social security number" is needed for treating that injury. You won't find it.

Just think that should be pointed out.