San Francisco Department of Public Health

On June 25, 2018, the covered entity (CE) reported that on December 27, 2017, it discovered that an individual gained unauthorized access to its business associate’s (BA) network server and downloaded the protected health information of 900 individuals to an external hard drive. The types of PHI involved in the breach included names, dates of birth, diagnoses, conditions, and other treatment information. The CE provided breach notification to affected individuals and prominent media outlets on May 11, 2018, following a requested law enforcement delay. In response to the breach incident, the CE obtained assurances from its BA that upon discovery of the breach it immediately blocked the unauthorized access, cooperated with law enforcement, and implemented additional technical and physical safeguards to secure the CE’s PHI.