Data Breaches Affected 170 Million Patient Records in 2024 - Hematology Advisor

A new study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that health care data breaches in the U.S. more than doubled between 2010 and 2024, with affected patient records rising from 6 million to 170 million. Researchers found a shift in breach types—from theft in 2010 to non-ransomware hacking and IT incidents, which made up 81% of breaches in 2024. Ransomware also surged, accounting for 11% of breaches that year and impacting 285 million records over the study period. The findings underscore the health sector’s growing cyber vulnerability and call for improved breach reporting, severity assessments, and ransomware mitigation strategies.