Healthcare data lost for nearly 11 million Americans in 2011

Nearly 11 million people in the United States had their healthcare data lost or stolen last year, almost twice as many as the previous year.

Theft was the top cause of data breaches, accounting for 52% last year, according to a report by accounting and consulting firm Kauffman, Rossin & Co. Unauthorized access accounted for 19%.

Laptops and paper records were the most frequent types of assets compromised in breaches, but mobile devices also are vulnerable and may pose the greatest risk in the future due to their small size and increasing ubiquity, according to the report.