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Surgery faces lawsuit over poor cybersecurity practices

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# Surgery faces lawsuit over poor cybersecurity practices

##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost)

February 14, 2021

Wilmington Surgical Associates is facing a lawsuit for its cybersecurity negligence that resulted in a data breach.

In October 2020, the surgical practice fell victim to a ransomware attack by the infamous [NetWalker cybercriminals](https://www.upguard.com/blog/what-is-netwalker-ransomware).\
‍

The cyber attackers accessed the following patient data:

* Patient names
* Dates of birth
* Social Security numbers
* Clinical information

[Rhine Law Firm](https://www.carolinaaccidentattorneys.com/blog/2021/january/data-breach-at-wilmington-surgical-associates/#_ftn1) has filed a class-action lawsuit against Wilmington Surgical to force the practice to implement stronger cybersecurity measures and to submit audits of its security practices.

The healthcare and financial industries are under particular pressure to conform to strict regulatory standards. These are fast-paced industries

Because these industries store highly valuable data, they’re constantly in the crosshairs of cyber attackers, and because they’re under constant pressure, the bandwidth for cybersecurity is a slither at best.

Wilmington Surgical’s lawsuit demonstrates that cybersecurity complacency is no longer tolerated. Organizations that struggle to defend their security posture need to [immediately adopt managed services](https://www.upguard.com/services) to avoid costly regulatory fines and lawsuits.

## How secure is Wilmington Surgical Associates?

Wilmington Surgical Associates provides general and specialized surgical services including abdominal, breast, oncologic, bariatric surgery, as well as vein and wound care. The practice operates with a team of board-certified surgeons and advanced practice providers.

* View our free preliminary report on Wilmington Surgical Associates’s security posture
* 13 risk factors, including email security, SSL, DNS health, open ports and common vulnerabilities

[View Wilmington Surgical Associates's score](/security-report/wilmington-surgical-associates)

[View score](/security-report/wilmington-surgical-associates)

[https://www.wilmingtonsurgical.com/](/security-report/wilmington-surgical-associates)

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