Quest Diagnostics Reports Cyberattack, Patient Data Potentially Compromised
Medical laboratory operator Quest Diagnostics has disclosed a cyber breach affecting a system used for client orders and results, with the scope of compromised patient records still under investigation.
Quest Diagnostics has detected a cyberattack on one of its systems, potentially exposing certain patient records, the medical laboratory operator announced this week. The company discovered unauthorized access to its Quanum Lab Services Manager platform on Wednesday and has since notified federal law enforcement.
The Quanum Lab Services Manager is a system that allows certain clients to place test orders and access results. The full extent of the breach, including the number of patients affected and the specific types of records compromised, remains under investigation. Quest Diagnostics stated that it believes "certain patient records" were accessed.
The New Jersey-based company has engaged external cybersecurity experts to aid in its response to the incident. This is not the first time Quest Diagnostics has experienced a breach impacting patient data. In 2016, approximately 34,000 individuals had data, including lab results and contact information, exposed in a separate online breach. Additionally, in 2019, personal information belonging to about 11.9 million Quest patients was affected by a breach at American Medical Collection Agency, a third-party billing collections service provider.
Cyberattacks continue to affect various sectors globally. Recent incidents have disrupted operations ranging from supermarket chains to core education applications. Efforts are underway by governments and companies worldwide to enhance online security. The urgency surrounding online security was amplified this week by the AI-assisted discovery of vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language essential to a significant portion of global websites. However, Quest Diagnostics confirmed that its cyber breach is unrelated to the PHP vulnerability issue.