Ohio Medical Group Hacked, Patient Files Leaked on Twitter

A far-right Ukrainian group recently hacked an Ohio urology group, The Columbus Dispatch reported. On August 2, screenshots of the protected health information (PHI) of patients of Central Ohio Urology Group in Gahanna, Ohio, were posted to the Twitter page of a group claiming allegiance with Pravy Sektor, a right-wing political group based in Ukraine. Along with screenshots, the group also posted a link to a Google Drive folder containing 150 GB of data it claims to have stolen from Central Ohio Urology Group, according to Motherboard. The hackers apparently posted the information for free in a bid to draw attention to their Twitter feed. The Twitter page has since been removed.

The screenshots showed patients’ names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance providers. The linked files include human resource and financial data and PHI. These records contain detailed information about treatments and diagnostic information. Motherboard was able to reach two individuals whose phone numbers were listed in the files and confirmed the information was accurate.

Documents in the data released by the hackers indicate Central Ohio Urology Group suspected a cyberattack in July, Motherboard reported.

Central Ohio Urology Group is working with a digital forensic firm and a network security company to determine the extent and source of the breach, it said in an August 3 statement. Federal law enforcement is also involved in the investigation.