The pharmaceutical giant Cencora sent out over a million notifications across the United States regarding a data breach earlier this year, according to TechCrunch’s investigation.
Here are the key points uncovered in this analysis:
- Patient Data Compromised: Cencora revealed that patient data from its patient support programs, obtained through partnerships with renowned drug makers like AbbVie, Bayer, Pfizer, and Regeneron, had been compromised in a February incident.
- Compromised Information: The data breach exposed patient names, postal addresses, dates of birth, health diagnoses, medications, and prescriptions.
- Lack of Clarity: The details surrounding the cause of the data breach remain unclear, as Cencora has refrained from disclosing whether it was due to malicious hackers or internal security gaps.
- Number of Notifications: Cencora has notified at least 1.43 million individuals about the breach.
- Disclosure Across States: Data breach notifications were examined from various state attorneys general websites, revealing that Texas had the highest number of people notified, reaching 1.05 million.
- Addressing Affected Individuals: Efforts are ongoing to alert affected individuals, although the actual number of impacted people may be significantly higher due to outdated address information.
- Comparison to Other Data Breaches: This incident ranks among the largest health-related data breaches in 2024, as listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alongside breaches from other major companies like Kaiser and WebPTA.
The data breach at hand, involving significant compromises of sensitive health information, underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures across the healthcare industry. Organizations like Cencora must prioritize the protection of patient data and transparency in addressing such incidents to safeguard individuals’ privacy and trust.
