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Planned Parenthood’s Los Angeles clinics hit by ransomware; patient data stolen -Breaking

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO – A clinic escort is seen outside of the Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood St. Louis Region in St. Louis (Missouri), U.S. May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant

(Reuters) – Planned Parenthood Los Angeles clinics were hit by ransomware in October. Personal information for 400,000 of their patients was also stolen. A spokesperson from the organization’s women’s reproductive health care organisation said Wednesday.

John Erickson, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Affiliate said that an “unauthorized individual” obtained access to its network Oct. 9-17 and ransomware or malware. He said that hackers did not appear to have used any of the stolen data (including insurance numbers or health information).

Investigations were underway. It claims that the group operates 21 Los Angeles health centers. Ransomware has been a dominant cybersecurity threat in 2018. It encrypts data of victims and can even steal information from organizations. In exchange for bitcoin payments of hundreds or thousands of dollars, hackers offer victims keys.

Erickson didn’t say whether ransomware prevented Planned Parenthood from accessing its computer network or if ransoms were paid.

Planned Parenthood wrote to the patients who had their data compromised and urged them “to review statements from their healthcare provider or insurance companies, and contact them immediately to see if they have been charged for services they did NOT receive.”

The past has seen Planned Parenthood being targeted. Anti-abortion activists had access to hundreds of employee names and email addresses in 2015 and published them online. Metropolitan Washington’s branch of the group claimed this year, that donor and patient information was being hacked in 2020.

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