InHealth Technologies

InHealth Technologies, a medical equipment manufacturing company based in Carpinteria, California, experienced a significant data breach that was publicly disclosed on January 9, 2024. The breach was first discovered on November 11, 2023, when it was found that hackers had encrypted files on the company’s IT network. This cyberattack allowed unauthorized access to sensitive consumer information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, demographic information, prescription information, and health insurance & billing information. Over 12,000 individuals were affected by this breach[1][2].

InHealth Technologies specializes in designing and manufacturing medical products for the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) setting and is a subsidiary of Freudenberg Medical. The company employs over 50 individuals and has been dedicated to the voice restoration market for over 40 years[2].

Following the discovery of the breach, InHealth Technologies initiated an investigation with the help of outside data security experts to understand the extent of the breach and whether any consumer data was compromised. The investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party had gained access to certain files containing confidential consumer information. In response, InHealth Technologies reviewed the compromised files to determine the specific information that was leaked and which consumers were impacted[1].

To address the situation, InHealth Technologies began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the security incident on January 9, 2024. These letters aimed to inform victims about the breach and provide them with information on what steps they could take to protect themselves from potential fraud or identity theft[1].

The breach at InHealth Technologies is part of a larger trend of increasing cyberattacks against the healthcare sector. In 2023, more than 540 organizations reported healthcare data breaches to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), impacting upwards of 112 million individuals. This represents a significant increase in the number of individuals affected by healthcare data breaches compared to the previous year[3].

InHealth Technologies has taken steps to strengthen its data security measures to prevent future incidents. These measures include implementing policies to restrict employee access, requiring multi-factor authentication, conducting regular audits, and encrypting patient information. Additionally, InHealth Technologies is offering complimentary identity theft protection services through IDX to customers potentially impacted by the data breach[10].

Citations:

1. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/inhealth-technologies-announces-data-4913014/
2. https://www.turkestrauss.com/2024/01/22/inhealth-technologies-data-breach-investigation/
3. https://healthitsecurity.com/features/this-years-largest-healthcare-data-breaches
4. https://www.myinjuryattorney.com/inhealth-technologies-data-breach-class-action-investigation-and-lawsuit-assistance/
5. https://colevannote.com/data-breach-inhealth-technologies/
6. https://www.upguard.com/blog/biggest-data-breaches-in-healthcare
7. https://www.mass.gov/doc/assigned-data-breach-number-2024-166-inhealth-technologies/download
8. https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf
9. https://inhealth.com/media/documents/pdf/Privacy_Policy_EEA.pdf
10. https://bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/health/inhealth-technologies-responds-to-data-breach-affecting-customer-health-information/
11. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/fewer-larger-healthcare-data-breaches-reported-h1-2023-hackers-often-targeting-third
12. https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf?ref=blog.gitguardian.com
13. https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/tracking-healthcare-data-breaches-cybersecurity-hacking-hospitals/696184/
14. https://media.newswire.ca/forefrontmedianews.html?filter=20509&rkey=20240109DE08286
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7349636/
16. https://inhealth.com/media/documents/pdf/Terms_and_Conditions2023.pdf
17. https://inhealth.com