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ELECTRONIC
MEDICAL RECORDS

hIPAA BREACh TRENDS,
2016 INTERIM REPORT

By David Schulz, Cyberrisk Associates, LLC

JULY 7, 2016 (Cyber Risk Associates) – During 2015’s block- (Illus. 1 - Percentage of HIPAA breaches by entity type, Jan 1-June 30,
buster cyber-attacks, HIPAA breaches increased nearly 10-fold, ex- 2016. All data from US Department of Health and Human Services.)
posing 113-million health records last year. As a result, network
security received tremendous attention. With more than 100-mil-
lion records lost in only three attacks (on national insurance com-
panies’ networks), we are rightfully anxious about computer hacking
as individuals concerned for our own records.

But risk is a complex function of the target and its role and re-
sponsibility. As healthcare providers and business associates, fixating
only on network security misses two-thirds of the picture and neg-
lects the larger risk.

Healthcare providers remain, year after year, the largest targets of
opportunity. Of 140 breaches published since January 1, 106 took
place at clinics, offices, hospitals and other front line providers.
Eleven more occurred at business associates and health plans ac-
counted for 23.

20 San Antonio Medicine • August 2016