Data breaches reported by New Mexico health department exposed health data of 49,000 deceased individuals
Take action: Even if the data breach contains data of deceased persons, it's still a data breach since it can be abused for identity theft or simply expose sensitive information about the person.
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On May 11, 2023, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) notified the HHS of a security breach affecting 49,000 individuals. The breach occurred when the DOH discovered that a journalist had received a spreadsheet containing details about individual deaths in New Mexico.
The journalist had requested this information under the Inspection of Public Records Act; however, the transmitted data contained protected health information (PHI). Specifically, the spreadsheet included PHI related to all deaths in New Mexico between January 2020 and December 2021.
The disclosed information did not contain names, birthdates, addresses, or contact details. The DOH advised families to remain vigilant for any suspicious activity involving recently deceased individuals within their family.
