Wyoming Reports Breach Via Google

Search engine revealed personal data
Wyoming Reports Breach Via Google
The Wyoming Department of Health reports that personal information about clients and applicants for the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, known as Kid Care, was improperly appearing in Google search results.

The department was notified of the problem Feb. 4 and immediately shut down the Web site involved. The files that Google was searching also were removed from the site.

Although no health records were compromised, "personal information, such as addresses and children's Social Security numbers provided by clients and applicants of the Wyoming Kid Care CHIP program, may have been exposed," said Brent Sherard, director of the health department.

"We are still investigating exactly what happened and do not yet have all the answers," said Lee Clabots, the department's deputy director for administration. "However, we do know the problem was not caused by intentional wrongdoing."

The health department reached out to about 5,000 affected families on Feb. 5 via automated phone calls to notify them about the situation and will follow up with a letter, according to a news release. The state also will offer these families free credit-monitoring service.


About the Author

Howard Anderson

Howard Anderson

Former News Editor, ISMG

Anderson was news editor of Information Security Media Group and founding editor of HealthcareInfoSecurity and DataBreachToday. He has more than 40 years of journalism experience, with a focus on healthcare information technology issues. Before launching HealthcareInfoSecurity, he served as founding editor of Health Data Management magazine, where he worked for 17 years, and he served in leadership roles at several other healthcare magazines and newspapers.




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