The healthcare sector has been increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, leading to significant data breaches that compromise sensitive patient information. These incidents not only jeopardize personal privacy but also disrupt medical services and erode trust in healthcare systems. Below is a summary of some of the most substantial data breaches in the healthcare industry, including the recent DM Clinical Research incident.
- UnitedHealth Group Data Breach (2025)
In January 2025, UnitedHealth Group experienced a massive cyberattack affecting approximately 190 million individuals. The breach primarily targeted its Change Healthcare unit, leading to disruptions in insurance payments. Compromised data included health insurance details, general health information, billing records, and, in rare cases, Social Security numbers and financial data. The attack was linked to unprotected remote access credentials, resulting in significant financial repercussions estimated at $3.09 billion.
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- Anthem Inc. Data Breach (2015)
In 2015, Anthem Inc. suffered a data breach that exposed the records of 78.8 million individuals. This incident was one of the largest healthcare data breaches at the time, compromising personal information such as names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and employment details.
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- DM Clinical Research Data Breach (2025)
In February 2025, a database belonging to DM Clinical Research was found to be publicly accessible without password protection or encryption. The unprotected database contained approximately 1.6 million clinical trial records, totaling 2 terabytes of data. Exposed information included sensitive personal and medical details such as names, dates of birth, contact information, vaccination statuses, current medications, and other health conditions. The breach was discovered by a cybersecurity researcher who promptly notified DM Clinical Research. The company secured the database within hours of the notification.
- Tricare Data Breach (2011)
In September 2011, Tricare, a healthcare program serving U.S. military personnel, experienced a data breach affecting 5 million patients. The breach occurred due to the loss of backup tapes containing personal health information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers.
- Community Health Systems Data Breach (2014)
In 2014, Community Health Systems, a major U.S. hospital operator, reported a data breach that compromised the personal information of 4.5 million patients. The attackers accessed names, Social Security numbers, addresses, birthdates, and phone numbers. The breach was attributed to an advanced persistent threat group originating from China.
- UCLA Health Data Breach (2015)
UCLA Health faced a data breach in 2015 that potentially exposed the personal and medical information of 4.5 million individuals. The compromised data included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, and health information. The attackers gained access to UCLA Health’s network, which contained sensitive patient data.
These incidents underscore the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures in the healthcare sector. Protecting patient data is paramount to maintaining trust and ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive health information.