Kaiser Permanente

On **May 16, 2024**, a **workforce member** at Kaiser Permanente **inappropriately accessed patient medical records** without authorization, leading to a **data breach** reported by the **California Office of the Attorney General** on **July 15, 2024**. The incident involved the **potential exposure of demographic and medical information** of patients, though the exact number of affected individuals was not specified. The breach stemmed from **internal misconduct**, where an employee violated access protocols, compromising sensitive health data. While no evidence of further malicious use (e.g., theft, public disclosure, or ransomware) was confirmed, the unauthorized access alone posed risks to **patient privacy, trust, and regulatory compliance**. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in **internal access controls** and the critical need for stricter monitoring of employee activities to prevent similar incidents. Kaiser Permanente likely faced **reputational damage, potential legal penalties under HIPAA**, and the need for remediation measures, including audits and employee retraining.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-588624

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/kaiser-permanente

"id": "kai549091725",
"linkid": "kaiser-permanente",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "5/2024",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Healthcare',
                        'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'Kaiser Permanente',
                        'type': 'Healthcare Provider'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Insider Threat (Inappropriate Access by Workforce Member)',
 'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (Demographic '
                                                        'Information)',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Medical and Demographic Data)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Demographic Information',
                                              'Medical Information']},
 'date_detected': '2024-05-16',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-07-15',
 'description': 'The California Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
                'breach involving Kaiser Permanente on July 15, 2024. The '
                'breach occurred on May 16, 2024, when a workforce member '
                'inappropriately accessed patient medical records without a '
                'reasonable basis, potentially exposing demographic and '
                'medical information of patients.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential (due to exposure of '
                                       'sensitive patient data)',
            'data_compromised': ['Demographic Information',
                                 'Medical Information'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential (due to exposure of demographic '
                                   'and medical data)'},
 'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Patient Medical Records']},
 'investigation_status': 'Disclosed (Ongoing or Completed Status Unknown)',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Inappropriate access to patient '
                                           'records by a workforce member '
                                           'without reasonable basis'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-07-15',
                 'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': ['Potential HIPAA Violation '
                                                    '(Unauthorized Access to '
                                                    'PHI)'],
                           'regulatory_notifications': 'California Office of '
                                                       'the Attorney General'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public disclosure via California '
                                        'Office of the Attorney General'},
 'threat_actor': 'Internal (Workforce Member)',
 'title': 'Kaiser Permanente Data Breach via Inappropriate Access by Workforce '
          'Member',
 'type': 'Data Breach (Unauthorized Access/Insider Threat)'}