(The Center Square) — A new study found South Carolina has experienced nearly five dozen medical breaches since 2009.
Comparitech analyzed data from 2009 to July 2023 and found South Carolina experienced 58 breaches affecting more than 1.9 million records. That amounts to 38,846 records affected per 100,000 people.
The Palmetto State performed better than neighboring Georgia (160) and North Carolina (140).
“Georgia and South Carolina rank in the lower half of the table when it comes to the number of medical records impacted per resident since 2009,” Rebecca Moody, Comparitech’s head of data research, told The Center Square in an email. “Georgia ranks as the 30th most-affected state, while South Carolina ranks 43rd. That said, both have seen a significant number of breaches and records affected.”
In neighboring Georgia in 2022, Moody said the main source of these breaches — disregarding five “unknown” attacks — were hacks and ransomware, accounting for nine out of 17 attacks.
“Three out of four of South Carolina’s attacks were also hacks or ransomware,” Moody said.
“These types of attacks tend to stem from software/system vulnerabilities, phishing emails, and lack of staff awareness,” Moody added. “Therefore, the main priority should be a focus on the basics, such as ensuring software is kept up to date, patching vulnerabilities as soon as they become aware of them, and investing in regular staff training.”
