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Former New Hampshire Psychiatric Hospital Patient Accused Of Data Breach

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — State officials say a former patient at New Hampshire's state psychiatric hospital posted confidential information about thousands of people on a social media website.

Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers says a patient using a computer in the New Hampshire Hospital library in October 2015 accessed information about as many as 15,000 people who had received department services. On Nov. 4, hospital security notified authorities that the individual had posted confidential information online.

The information, which included names, addresses and Social Security numbers, was removed within 24 hours, and a criminal investigation was launched. There's no evidence the private information was misused.

Meyers said a staff member noticed the patient had accessed non-confidential department information but the incident was not reported to hospital management or the state.

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