NYC Health and Hospitals Breach Exposes Data of 1.8 Million

A major data breach at New York City Health and Hospitals has compromised the sensitive information of at least 1.8 million people, including their medical records and biometric data such as fingerprints and palm prints. The breach, one of the largest healthcare-related incidents reported this year, was disclosed by the public health system to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Officials said the intrusion was detected on February 2, 2026, and the network was subsequently secured. An investigation determined that unauthorized individuals had access to the system from approximately November 25, 2025, until the date of detection. The hackers copied files containing a wide array of personal data, which varied by individual but included health insurance details, medical diagnoses and medications, billing and payment information, Social Security numbers, and passport and driver’s license numbers. The breach notice also indicated that precise geolocation data was taken, potentially from metadata in photographs of identity documents.

The theft of biometric information distinguishes this breach from many others. Unlike passwords or identification numbers, fingerprints and...