Sentara Health Faces Privacy Scare After Remote Employee Identity Fraud
Becker's Hospital Review
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Contributed by: Drex DeFord
Summary
Sentara Health has disclosed a privacy incident involving a former remote employee, prompting notifications to patients whose personal data may have been improperly accessed during a suspected cyber scam. The issues began shortly after hiring the employee, when management raised doubts about their identity following a virtual meeting. An investigation suggested the employee may have been part of a job-sharing scam, leading to their termination. However, Sentara has not confirmed if the individual accessing patient information was indeed the hired employee. The compromised data includes sensitive details like names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers, raising significant privacy concerns for the affected patients. Sentara has publicly committed to enhancing data security and has expressed regret over the incident.