Rady Children's Hospital

Thousands of Rady Children's Patients Warned of Security Breach

The information was first accessed on June 20, 2019, but it wasn't until Jan. 3, 2020, that the hospital was made aware of the breach

Rady Children's Hospital at night
NBC 7

The personal information of thousands of Rady Children's Hospital patients was compromised in a data breach that lasted months before it was discovered, the hospital confirmed this week after completing an investigation into the incident.

Up to 2,360 patients of Rady Children's radiology department may have had some of their records compromised when an internet port was accessed without authorization as early as June 20, 2019, the hospital said.

It wasn't until Jan. 3, 2020, that the hospital first discovered the breach after being alerted by an information security firm.

The compromised information included the type and date of imaging studies some patients underwent, including their names and genders. In some cases, dates of birth, medical record numbers, the parent or gaurdians' names, descriptions of the imaging study and the names of the referring physician were also accessed.

No social security numbers, credit card numbers, radiology images or reports or diagnoses were involved, according to Rady Children's.

The hospital said the information was secured immediately after the breach was discovered.

An investigation was then launched, though it wasn't until Feb. 5, 2020, that investigators determined patients' personal information was accessed.

In a statement to NBC 7, the hospital said they regularly update their security systems to best ensure patient care:

"As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, so does our approach to secure patient information. We assess and update our security systems and processes on a regular basis, including working with third party independent consultants. We take this matter very seriously and to help prevent future incidents, we continue to exercise constant vigilance in our systems and data security efforts."

The parents and guardians of patients with affected information were notified by the hospital of their next steps, which included complimentary identity protection services offered by the hospital for 12 months.

Anyone with more questions can call the hospital at 1-844-902-2025.

The non-profit Rady Children's Hospital is the only San Diego hospital that focuses solely on the care of children. The hospital provided care to more than 245,000 children in fiscal year 2019.

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