A Japanese hospital recently reported the loss of a USB containing confidential health information of 1,162 patients. The incident was discovered during an internal audit and the hospital is unsure where the USB was lost or who might have found it. The hospital is currently notifying the affected patients and has pledged to enhance its security practices to prevent future incidents of this kind.

In Japan, safeguarding of personal information, especially private medical information, is a serious matter. The news might stir a nationwide conversation on data security in the healthcare sector and lead to calls for stricter regulations.

In the US or EU, such a breach of patient confidentiality is a major legal and ethical violation, with severe penalties for the responsible institution. Regulations like HIPAA in the US or GDPR in the EU mandate stringent data security practices, the violation of which can result in hefty fines.