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Medtronic discloses two data breaches last year, but says no patient data accessed [Star Tribune (Minneapolis) :: ]
[June 20, 2014]

Medtronic discloses two data breaches last year, but says no patient data accessed [Star Tribune (Minneapolis) :: ]


(Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) June 20--Medtronic said Friday that its diabetes business unit was the victim of a hacker attack in 2013, but that no patient data was accessed.

The Fridley-based company also said that it discovered computer system intrusions that were "believed to originate from hackers in Asia." No databases storing patient records were breached in that case, either, the company said.



Medtronic said two other large medical devices were also attacked, but did not disclose which companies.

In its annual 10-K disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Medtronic said it notified the government of the diabetes business breach at the time and has since provided details to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights.


In the diabetes case, Medtronic said that "while we found no evidence of a breach or inadvertent disclosure of the patient records, we were unable to locate them for retrieval." In the case in which Medtronic and two other companies suffered a cyber attack, Medtronic said it was contacted by some state attorneys general about whether it would be necessary to notify patients. Medtronic said it "provided them information about our analysis and conclusions that patient data was not affected." Steve Alexander -- 612-673-4553 ___ (c)2014 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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