Breach, Compliance Management, Data Security, Privacy

Personal laptop, possibly containing data on 5M patients, stolen from HHS facility

A personal laptop and hard drives that may contain sensitive data on close to 5 million medical patients, including Social Security numbers, was stolen from a Washington State federal building, prompting calls for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reveal the extent of the damage.

According to an AP report, the top ranking members of the U.S. House's Oversight & Government Reform Committee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), sent a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell criticizing the use of personal equipment to store patient data as a "violation of HHS privacy and security policy.” Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also sent a letter requesting details on the breach.

The equipment was stolen from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement in Olympia, Wash., in early February. The laptop was reportedly used to conduct child-support audits. The AP also reported that Olympia police arrested suspects Nicholas Perring and Demario Heard for allegedly committing the burglary.

Bradley Barth

As director of multimedia content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for online conferences, webcasts, podcasts video/multimedia projects — often serving as moderator or host. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

Get daily email updates

SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news

By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.