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Data Exfiltration

Meaning

Data Exfiltration is the unauthorized, intentional transfer or extraction of sensitive patient information from a secure clinical network or digital health platform to an external, uncontrolled environment. In the realm of hormonal health, this security breach is particularly concerning because the compromised data often includes highly private and immutable physiological markers, such as individual endocrine profiles, genetic test results, and specific diagnoses of hormonal disorders. This clandestine removal of data poses a profound risk to patient privacy and autonomy, potentially leading to identity theft, discrimination, or targeted marketing based on sensitive health status. Clinical organizations must employ stringent cybersecurity measures to prevent this unauthorized physiological data egress.