Ransomware attack on Planned Parenthood LA exposes info for 400,000 patients
Hackers were able to access files containing personal information for hundreds of thousands of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles patients with a ransomware attack that occurred in October, according to a report by The Washington Post. A letter sent to affected patients by Planned Parenthood explained that the files contained patients’ names and “one or more of the following: address, insurance information, date of birth, and clinical information, such as diagnosis, procedure, and/or prescription information.”
Planned Parenthood says the ransomware was installed on its network some time between October 9th and October 17th. On the 17th, the organization noticed the intrusion, took its systems offline, and contacted law enforcement and cybersecurity investigators. By early November, it had determined what the hackers had access to but is still in the dark about the attack’s perpetrator, according to CNN.
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood LA told The Washington Post that it didn’t seem like the information had been “used for fraudulent purposes” and told CNN that it didn’t appear to be a targeted attack. But the data could be valuable if hackers choose to sell it, given its extremely sensitive nature — Planned Parenthood not only provides abortions but birth control, STD testing, and hormone therapy for trans patients, along with a host of other medical services. According to CNN, the data was limited to Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
The cyberattack and data leak come at a time when abortion rights are especially fraught in the US. The Supreme Court is currently considering a case to determine the legality of a Mississippi law that bans abortions 15 weeks into pregnancy (as opposed to the 23 weeks set by Roe v. Wade), and earlier this year Texas made it illegal to get an abortion after just six weeks of pregnancy. Texas’ law means that abortions won’t be a legal option by the time most people find out they’re pregnant.
Ransomware attacks have also been a major issue this year, with the US Treasury reporting that payouts from the attacks could be on track to top a billion dollars for 2021 alone. CNN says a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood LA didn’t answer questions about whether there was a ransom demand made in this case.
Hackers were able to access files containing personal information for hundreds of thousands of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles patients with a ransomware attack that occurred in October, according to a report by The Washington Post. A letter sent to affected patients by Planned Parenthood explained that the files contained patients’…
Recent Posts
- We’re one step closer to a global cybersecurity standard for smart home devices
- Steam streamlines its family sharing features
- Nvidia is taking the Apple Vision Pro to the Omniverse
- Nvidia has virtually recreated the entire planet — and now it wants to use its digital twin to crack weather forecasting for good
- Everything you’ve been told about mesh vs foam office chairs is probably a lie
Archives
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011