PORTLAND, Ore. – As many as 1,600 patients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center had their personal information, including Social Security numbers, inadvertently posted on a public Web site.
Officials at the facility said some patients’ Social Security numbers were not released on the site; however, it is unclear how many were released. Additionally, no medical information was disclosed.
The incident occurred when the medical center transferred patient information and financial records to the federal Web site USAspending.gov.
As soon as officials realized the information was posted on the Internet, it was removed.
Affected patients were notified through the mail about the lapse. Patients were informed that they would receive free credit monitoring and fraud alert services.
Additionally, the breach affected other patients in VA hospitals around the country; however, officials are not certain how many patients were affected nationally.
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