HHS OCR report ยท 2020
Virginia Cancer Institute data breach
OCR report facts
- Covered entity
- Virginia Cancer Institute
- Entity type
- Healthcare Provider
- State
- Virginia
- Individuals affected
- 6,258
- Submission date
- Oct 2, 2020
- Type of breach
- Hacking/IT Incident
- Location of breached information
- Business associate present
- No
- Status
- Archive (closed)
OCR description
The covered entity (CE), Virginia Cancer Institute, Inc., reported that an employee was the victim of an email phishing scheme that affected the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of approximately 6,258 individuals. The ePHI involved included names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, patient account numbers, and health insurance and treatment information. In its mitigation efforts, the CE strengthened its administrative, technical, and security safeguards to be...
Text as published on the HHS OCR breach portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were affected by the Virginia Cancer Institute data breach?
The report to HHS OCR lists 6,258 individuals affected.
When was it reported to HHS?
It was submitted to HHS OCR on Oct 2, 2020.
What type of breach was it?
The OCR portal lists the type of breach as Hacking/IT Incident, with the breached information located in: Email.
Is the investigation still open?
No. The report is in the OCR portal archive, which holds reports where OCR has closed its review.
Is a breach notice letter from Virginia Cancer Institute legitimate?
This site cannot verify letters. Check the sender against the organisation's official website and the HHS OCR breach portal, and avoid calling numbers or clicking links only listed in an unexpected message. See our guide on what to do after a data breach notice.
Source: HHS OCR Breach Portal, OCR export October 2026. Network USA is not affiliated with HHS or Virginia Cancer Institute.