New Hampshire Hospital recently suffered data breach when a patient reportedly hacked into the New Hampshire Department Of Health And Human Services (DHHS). PHI was posted online which affected 15,000 individuals. 
DHHS came to know about the incident on November 4, 2016. Facilities internal files were posted on social media site. The list of DHHS clients are those who received services from DHHS prior to November 2015. Affected information includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and Medicaid identification numbers.
According to the reports, the person who accessed the information was patient at the facility. individual used a computer available for patient use in the hospital library. The individual was “observed by a staff member to have accessed non-confidential DHHS information on a personal computer located in the New Hampshire Hospital library.”
“The staff member notified a supervisor, who took steps to restrict access to the library computers. This incident, however, was not reported to management at New Hampshire Hospital or DHHS. In August 2016, a security official at New Hampshire Hospital informed DHHS that the same individual may have posted on social media some DHHS information. That was immediately reported to the Department of Information Technology, the State Police and other state officials.”
Facility believes that PHI was not misused. Also, credit card or banking information was not accessed. DHHS said that affected individuals are encouraged to monitor their credit and banking statements. They are told that they “can protect themselves from incidents of identity theft or fraud by reviewing their account statements and monitoring their credit.”
“Safeguarding the personal, financial and medical information of DHHS clients is one of this Department’s highest priorities,” DHHS stated. “DHHS will continue to work with state agency partners to make every effort to ensure that the Department’s data remains secure.”
Facility mentioned that they can report any suspicion of identity theft or fraud to local law enforcement Individuals and or the Consumer Protection Bureau at the New Hampshire Department of Justice.
“DHHS is making available a toll-free telephone number that affected individuals may call with questions about this incident.”
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