Denver Post runs with story on compromised medical records

Denver Post reporter Karen Auge followed up on my Future Tense report about medical records of Colorado residents being found on the 'Net. Snippet:

Beacon acknowledged that the security hole may have existed for a year, and none of the regular security tests uncovered it.

The company was alerted to the problem by Jon Gordon, who does a show about technology for Minnesota Public Radio. Gordon learned of it from a tipster.

It is possible that the files have been unprotected for more than a year, said Charles Russell, spokesman for Beacon.

Investigators hired by the company said they believe the files were only recently accessed.

Anyone who did access it would have left a "footprint," Russell said. "And there is no evidence of anyone coming in that door until about a month ago."

Since then, four users have accessed the server, Beck said. One belonged to Gordon, the radio reporter. "We are working to determine who the others" are "and what files they may have viewed or downloaded," Beck said.

The Post may have seen the story first on BoingBoing, a blog that deserves a ton of credit for amplifying the good work of journalists, bloggers, and other folks.