Ascension Health

On December 19, 2024, the Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a severe data breach affecting **Ascension Health**, stemming from an external hacking incident that occurred on **May 8, 2024**. The breach compromised the personal data of approximately **5,599,699 individuals**, including **658 Maine residents**. The exposed information encompasses highly sensitive details such as **medical records, payment data, insurance information, and government-issued identification documents**.This incident poses a critical threat to the affected individuals, as the leaked data could facilitate **identity theft, financial fraud, and targeted phishing attacks**. The scale of the breach—impacting millions—suggests systemic vulnerabilities in Ascension Health’s cybersecurity defenses, raising concerns about the organization’s ability to safeguard patient confidentiality. The inclusion of **medical and financial data** elevates the risk of long-term harm, including potential **blackmail, fraudulent medical claims, or unauthorized access to healthcare services**. The breach not only undermines trust in Ascension Health but also highlights the broader risks associated with cyberattacks on healthcare providers, where data integrity is paramount for patient safety and operational continuity.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/e55264f2-ff87-4b28-874d-653cfb735fe6.html

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ascensionorg

"id": "asc546082925",
"linkid": "ascensionorg",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "2/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '5,599,699 (658 in Maine)',
                        'industry': 'Healthcare',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'Ascension Health',
                        'type': 'Healthcare Provider'}],
 'attack_vector': 'External Hacking',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '5,599,699',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True,
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Medical',
                                              'Payment',
                                              'Insurance',
                                              'Government Identification']},
 'date_detected': '2024-05-08',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-12-19',
 'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
                'breach involving Ascension Health on December 19, 2024. The '
                'breach occurred on May 8, 2024, due to an external hacking '
                'incident, affecting approximately 5,599,699 individuals in '
                'total, with 658 Maine residents specifically impacted. '
                'Personal data potentially compromised includes medical, '
                'payment, insurance, and government identification '
                'information.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Medical Information',
                                 'Payment Information',
                                 'Insurance Information',
                                 'Government Identification Information'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
            'payment_information_risk': 'High'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-12-19',
                 'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Office of the '
                                                        'Attorney General']},
 'title': 'Ascension Health Data Breach (2024)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}