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The publication identified at least 187 medical servers across the United States that were not password protected, let alone other modern cybersecurity measures. In addition, many of these servers ran out of date software, making them vulnerable to various known exploits. In all, ProPublica estimates that some 13.7 million medical tests and 400,000 X-rays for patients in the United States could be easily accessed by malicious individuals. "It's not even computer hacking – it's an open door," said Jackie Singh, cybersecurity researcher. ProPublica.
In some cases, the data included not only the patient's name and date of birth, but also his social security number. ProPublica did not find evidence that records had been accessed and copied elsewhere, but the number of vulnerable servers highlights a blatant surveillance of the medical industry.
As the publication indicates, this surveillance is likely to be a violation of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Adopted in 1996, the law governs the processing of sensitive data. One of the problems is that the law does not provide much guidance on how the industry is supposed to protect the data that it stores on computers. Some clinics ProPublica People contacted about their servers have increased their security after the fact, but most servers will probably not be protected for a long time.
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