Leveraging Knowledge to Manage Your Data Risks
Women’s Health Care Group of Pennsylvania has notified approximately 300,000 patients that their protected health information has been compromised by a ransomware attack.
Although the ransomware became active on May 16, 2017, an investigation into the attack showed that the intruders had access to the Group’s system since January of 2017. The intruders may have…
A 27-year old resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Kolleh, was arrested and spent 14 hours in a holding cell last week for flying his drone in the vicinity of the National Football League (NFL) Draft. Kolleh began using drones for his filmmaking last year after purchasing a DJI drone. While shooting his latest project, “Straight…
Touted as the first OCR settlement with a wireless health services provider, the OCR announced on April 24, 2017, that it has settled alleged HIPAA violations with CardioNet, based in Pennsylvania for $2.5 million.
CardioNet self-reported a data beach in January 2012, stating that an unencrypted laptop of one of its employees was stolen from a vehicle parked outside the employee’s home. (Again? Don’t get us started on why employees STILL have unencrypted laptops in their cars.)
The laptop contained the ePHI of 1,391 individuals who received mobile monitoring and response for cardiac arrhythmias by CardioNet. Since the breach involved more than 500 individuals, the OCR conducted an investigation. It alleges that as a result of the investigation, it found that CardioNet “had an insufficient risk analysis and risk management processes in place” and that the HIPAA Security Rule policies and procedures were in draft form and had not been implemented. Further, according to the OCR, CardioNet “was unable to produce any final policies or procedures regarding the implementation of safeguards for ePHI, including those for mobile devices.”
Continue Reading OCR Settles First Case With Wireless Provider for $2.5 Million
Last week, Maryland’s Cecil County Sheriff’s Office used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to recover nearly $400,000 worth of stolen construction equipment, which also led to the arrest of the culprit. The New Jersey State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and Delaware Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police were all investigating this case—the construction equipment had…
Back in August 2016, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its final small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) rule (or Part 107) FAA administrator, Michael Huerta said, “Our focus is to make this as streamlined as possible [. . .] We do not envision this being a very burdensome process.” However, Part 107 limits flights…
Last week, a class action law suit was filed against leader in the drone industry, DJI Technology, Inc. (DJI), for an allegedly harmful firmware update that occurred in December 2015 that rendered certain commercial drones in its Phantom 2 line of drones unable to record video or take photographs. DJI is accused of ignoring the…
A court in Pennsylvania recently held that an employer does not have a legal duty to act reasonably in managing its computer systems to safeguard sensitive personal information collected from its employees, when the employer elects, for purposes of its own business efficiencies, to store and manage such sensitive employee data on its internet-accessible
computer…
While Uber has been trying to pioneer self-driving technology, debuting its first self-driving taxis in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last month, Uber is now looking at “vertical take off and landing” (VTOL) technology. This VTOL technology will allow Uber riders to beat city traffic by taking their rides to the skies –in passenger drones. While we are…
Our predictions that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will become more aggressive with audits, investigations, and fines against HIPAA business associates has come true.
On June 24, 2016, the OCR announced that it has settled an investigation with Catholic Health Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CHCS), stemming from CHCS’ capacity as a HIPAA…
One in five U.S. consumers are tracking their every movement, from their heart-rate, skin temperature, respiratory rate to their activity levels, food intake, weight, and sleep patterns. With this so-called ‘black box’ for the human body, this data collected through our wearable fitness devices has great potential to be used to bolster or dispute a…
