Quest Diagnostics, the American laboratory testing giant, discovered unauthorized access to a system and took it offline. The company believes patient data was accessed, but does not yet know which data or how many people.
What is known so far
According to The Record, the affected system is the Quanum Lab Services Manager, used by clinicians to order tests and look up results. Quest said it “believes” “some patient data” was accessed and has not yet identified which. The report does not say how many patients may be affected.
The company paused access to that system and others while it investigates, says no other part of the company was affected and says it is working with law enforcement. It also said the incident is unrelated to the recent PHP flaws. The system was expected back on Friday, and labs can use paper requisitions in the meantime. A spokesperson declined to describe the nature of the incident, and no group had claimed the attack as of Thursday afternoon.
Why health data is so sensitive
Quest reported more than $11 billion in revenue last year and says it serves half of US doctors and hospitals. The report recalls another recent case, Baylor Genetics, which disclosed a breach affecting more than 2.8 million patients. Test results reveal diagnoses, and that kind of information cannot be changed like a password.
What it means elsewhere
The case is American, and the report points to no effect outside the US. The lesson applies to labs everywhere: ask how your lab stores results and who has access to them.
How to protect yourself
- Use the lab’s official channels to see results, and avoid sending test results through messaging apps carelessly.
- Be suspicious of contacts about tests that arrive by email or text with links. Scammers exploit breach headlines.
- Protect your patient portal login with a unique password and two-step verification.
- Ask the lab what it keeps about you. Privacy laws in many places give you the right to know.
- Follow the company’s notices if you are a customer of an affected lab.
