Abbott Medical Testing Company Investigating Data Breaches: What Patients Should Know

Abbott Laboratories, a major medical testing company, is investigating two separate cybersecurity incidents. In the first incident, attackers gained unauthorized access to old computer systems used by their Cancer Diagnostics business. In a second, separate incident, hackers claim they broke into Abbott's LabCentral portal and stole company data. If you or a family member has used Abbott's cancer diagnostic testing services or the LabCentral portal, your personal health information may have been accessed. This could include test results, patient names, contact information, and potentially other medical details. Abbott has not yet confirmed exactly what information was taken or how many people are affected.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Watch your email and postal mail carefully for any notifications from Abbott or your healthcare provider about this incident.
2. Monitor your medical records and insurance statements for any tests or procedures you did not authorize.
3. If you receive notification that your information was involved, follow any specific instructions Abbott provides.
4. Be extremely cautious of any emails or phone calls claiming to be from Abbott or your doctor asking for personal information. This is especially important right now when scammers may try to take advantage of the situation. To protect your medical information long term, ask your healthcare providers what security measures they use to protect patient data. Keep copies of your own medical records at home. Check your insurance statements regularly for any suspicious activity. Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit if you are notified that sensitive personal information was taken in this breach.