Do you know who has your medical identity? Theft of personal medical identity information has grown 21.7 percent in 2014 and the booming crime has cost more than $20 billion.
The crime of stealing medical identity has grown as the use of digital health records has increased in recent years. According to a Ponemon Institute report, “data breaches through fake or intercepted emails or spoofed websites accounted for 24 percent of the thefts, up from 10 percent in 2012, and stealing by family and friends fell to 47 percent of all reported incidents, down from 65 percent in 2012.”
The issue of personal health information has been a hot topic in recent years as health care companies have become fresh targets for cyber criminals, the most recent being the Anthem breach.