Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

Lawsuit Filed in Wake of Ransomware Attack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  January 6, 2020

A lawsuit filed against DCH Health System in the wake of a ransomware attack that disrupted medical services for several days alleges that the Alabama-based organization failed "to properly maintain and safeguard its computer systems and data."

Malware Infects Small Hospital's Medical Imaging Server

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  January 3, 2020

A breach stemming from malware infecting a medical imaging server at a small, rural New Mexico hospital serves as a reminder of medical equipment data security and privacy vulnerabilities and risks faced by facilities of all sizes.

Ambulance Company Slapped With HIPAA Fine

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  January 2, 2020

Federal regulators have smacked a Georgia-based ambulance company with a financial settlement and corrective action plan in a case involving "longstanding" HIPAA compliance issues. How big was the fine, and what factors precipitated it?

Do Breach Remediation Efforts Affect Patient Outcomes?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 30, 2019

How do hospitals' efforts to bolster information security in the aftermath of data breaches potentially affect patient outcomes? Professor Eric Johnson of Vanderbilt University discusses research that shows a worrisome relationship between breach remediation and the delivery of timely patient care.

A CISO Offers Insights on Managing Vendor Security Risks

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 26, 2019

Because vendors were implicated in many of the largest health data breaches in 2019, it's more critical than ever for healthcare organizations to manage the security risks posed by their suppliers, says Erik Decker, CISO and chief privacy officer at the University of Chicago Medicine.

5 Top Health Data Regulatory Issues to Watch in 2020

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 20, 2019

What are some of the most important health data privacy and security regulatory developments to watch in 2020? Privacy attorney Kirk Nahra of the law firm WilmerHale discusses what he sees as the top five issues in the year ahead.

Canadian Lab Pays Ransom to 'Retrieve' Data

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 18, 2019

A Canadian medical testing lab acknowledges that it paid a ransom to "retrieve" data stolen by hackers in an incident that apparently did not involve ransomware. Find out about the unusual details of this incident.

Why Securing Medical Devices Is So Challenging

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 17, 2019

Improving the security of diverse medical devices is a major challenge for a variety of reasons, according to security leaders at two device manufacturers, who spell out the key issues in this interview.

Insurer Races to Fix Security Flaws After Whistleblower Alert

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 16, 2019

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Minnesota is reportedly racing to address tens of thousands of security vulnerabilities after a whistleblower on the health insurer's security team alerted the company's board of trustees about the problems. Why do some companies lag on addressing security issues?

Another Fine Tied to Patient Access to Records Announced

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 13, 2019

For the second time in recent months, federal regulators have slapped a healthcare provider with a HIPAA financial settlement in a case involving patients' rights to access their health information. Why is this an ongoing compliance problem?

Scrutiny of Google's Access to Patient Data Intensifies

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 12, 2019

Ascension healthcare system's sharing of data with Google on millions of patients is drawing increased scrutiny from members of Congress as well as privacy advocates. What are the major areas of concern?

Health Data Breach Tally: Trends in 2019

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 11, 2019

The federal tally of health data breaches shows that hacking attacks and incidents involving business associates dominated this year. Here's an analysis of all the latest trends.

City of Pensacola Recovering From Ransomware Attack

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 10, 2019

The city of Pensacola, Florida, on Tuesday was still recovering from a Saturday ransomware attack that occurred just one day after a shooting incident at Naval Air Station Pensacola. But the FBI reports that it has not identified a connection between the incidents.

Banner Health Breach Lawsuit Settled

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 9, 2019

A federal court has granted preliminary approval of a multi-million dollar settlement of a consolidated class action lawsuit filed against Banner Health in the wake of a massive 2016 breach of healthcare and financial information. Here's a rundown of the details.

AI, Machine Learning and Robotics: Privacy, Security Issues

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  December 6, 2019

The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics has enormous potential, but along with that promise come critical privacy and security challenges, says technology attorney Stephen Wu.