## Yale New Haven Health Hit by Ransomware Attack, Exposing Data of Over 5 Million
Connecticut’s largest healthcare system, Yale New Haven Health (YNHH), has confirmed a significant data breach affecting over 5.5 million individuals. The breach, stemming from a March cyberattack, exposed a trove of sensitive patient data, as revealed in a legally required notice filed with the U.S. Department of Health.
According to YNHH, malicious actors successfully accessed and copied patients’ personally identifiable information (PII) and healthcare-related data. The stolen information, varying by individual, may include names, dates of birth, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, race and ethnicity data, Social Security numbers, patient types, and medical record numbers.
While YNHH has acknowledged the breach on its website, the exact nature of the attack remained initially unclear. However, a spokesperson, Dana Marnane, implied to TechCrunch that the incident was indeed related to ransomware, stating, “The sophistication of the attack leads us to believe that it was executed by an individual or group who has a pattern of these types of incidents.” Marnane declined further comment, citing an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
The healthcare provider has not disclosed whether they engaged in communication with the hackers or if a ransom demand was made. As of now, no major ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack. It is common practice for ransomware and data extortion gangs to leak stolen data if ransom negotiations fail.
This incident marks the second major healthcare data breach this week. Previously, Blue Shield of California revealed it had shared the private health data of 4.7 million patients with Google for several years.
The YNHH data breach serves as a stark reminder of the increasing vulnerability of healthcare systems to cyberattacks and the potentially devastating consequences for patients. Affected individuals are urged to monitor their financial accounts and credit reports for any suspicious activity. YNHH is expected to provide further details and guidance to affected individuals in the coming days.
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