Minnesota AG Sues Indiana Company Over Medical Data Hack

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is suing an Indiana company over a data breach that exposed information of over 8,000 Minnesotans.

Swanson filed the lawsuit Monday against Medical Informatics Engineering Inc.

According to Swanson, hackers in 2015 stole protected health information of over 8,000 Minnesotans from MIE, which provides web-based electronic health records services to medical providers. The hacked data included personal health information and identity information, such as addresses, telephone numbers and Social Security numbers.

The lawsuit alleges that MIE failed to implement industry-accepted data security measures to protect its computer system from hackers.

Swanson says patients "expect health companies to protect the privacy of their electronic health records."

Other states joined Minnesota in the federal lawsuit.

MIE did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.