Scott L. Vernick was quoted in The Washington Post article "2015 Is Already the Year of the Health-Care Hack – And It's Only Going to Get Worse." Full text can be found in the March 20, 2015, issue, but a synopsis is noted below.
Last year, the fallout from a string of breaches at major retailers like Target and Home Depot had consumers on edge. But 2015 is shaping up to be the year consumers should be taking a closer look at who is guarding their health information.
"The information that companies like Anthem and Premera had is more valuable than just payment card information held by retailers or financial institutions," said Vernick. Credit card information has a relatively short shelf life, with new cards issued on a regular basis, he explained. But health organizations often have complete profiles of people including Social Security numbers and medical health information that is much more difficult, if not impossible, to change.
State-level officials are also increasingly involved in enforcement in this area, said Vernick, and consumers may have additional legal avenues depending on state laws.
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