News Report | April 7, 2021
2020 U.S. Health Care Data Breaches Increased 25% Over 2019, Affecting More Than 26.4 Million People
In 2020, health care data breaches of more than 500 data records in the U.S. increased 25.4% compared to 2019, from 512 in 2019 to 642 in 2020. These 2020 data breaches affected about 26.4 million people (or about 8.0% of the U.S. population during that year). Data breaches include:
- Information technology incidents: frequently involve deliberate, malicious acts to deliberately obtain sensitive information, including computer hacking, and virus creation.
- Loss or theft of critical information: the act of stealing or destroying (whether intentionally or unintentionally) information stored on corporate databases, devices . . .