Sierra Nevada Primary Care Physicians

On July 16, 2021, Sierra Nevada Primary Care Physicians experienced a data breach where a limited amount of protected health information (PHI) was compromised. The exposed data included patient names and credit card details, discovered in a suspect’s vehicle after physical receipts were improperly discarded or stolen. While the exact number of affected individuals remains unspecified, the incident highlights vulnerabilities in handling sensitive financial and personal health records.The breach did not involve large-scale digital hacking but rather a physical security lapse, leading to unauthorized access to confidential patient data. Although no evidence suggests broader exploitation (e.g., identity theft or fraud at scale), the exposure of credit card information poses risks of financial misuse. The incident underscores the need for stricter controls over PHI storage, disposal, and third-party access, particularly in healthcare settings where compliance with HIPAA and other privacy regulations is critical.No ransomware or systemic cyberattack was reported, but the breach’s financial and reputational repercussions such as potential fraudulent transactions or erosion of patient trust align with moderate-severity impacts for healthcare providers.

Source: https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-542979

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/western-sierra-medical-clinic

"id": "wes504082125",
"linkid": "western-sierra-medical-clinic",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "7/2021",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Healthcare',
                        'location': 'California, USA',
                        'name': 'Sierra Nevada Primary Care Physicians',
                        'type': 'Healthcare Provider'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': "Physical (receipts found in suspect's "
                                      'vehicle)',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes (names)',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Protected Health Information '
                                              '(PHI)',
                                              'credit card information']},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021-07-16',
 'description': 'On July 16, 2021, the California Office of the Attorney '
                'General reported a data breach involving Sierra Nevada '
                'Primary Care Physicians, which compromised a limited amount '
                'of protected health information (PHI), including names and '
                'credit card information. The breach was reported to have '
                "occurred when receipts were discovered in a suspect's "
                'vehicle, affecting an unspecified number of individuals.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['names', 'credit card information'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PHI and credit card data exposed)',
            'payment_information_risk': 'High (credit card information '
                                        'exposed)'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2021-07-16',
                 'source': 'California Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': ['HIPAA (likely, due to PHI '
                                                    'exposure)'],
                           'regulatory_notifications': 'California Office of '
                                                       'the Attorney General'},
 'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes (California Office of the '
                                          'Attorney General involved)'},
 'title': 'Data Breach at Sierra Nevada Primary Care Physicians',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}