Renkim Corporation, a Michigan-based business associate providing print and electronic communication services, has disclosed a data breach affecting the sensitive information of 46,864 individuals. The incident involved unauthorized access to its network and the exfiltration of files containing both personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) from its clients.
In a notice posted on its website, Renkim stated that it detected suspicious activity within its computer network on March 3, 2025. An immediate investigation, conducted with the help of third-party cybersecurity experts, revealed that an unauthorized party had gained access to its systems between March 2 and March 3, 2025. During this period, the intruder likely exfiltrated files containing customer data. Renkim began sending notification letters to affected individuals and reporting to state and federal authorities in early June 2025.
Renkim serves as a business associate for companies across multiple industries, including healthcare, finance, and automotive. It receives customer data from these clients to process and send mailings. The breach exposed a wide range of data, which varies by individual but may include:
As a remediation step, Renkim is offering affected individuals a complimentary membership to Experian IdentityWorks credit monitoring services.
The compromise of sensitive data held by a business associate shows the importance of vendor due diligence under the HIPAA Security Rule. Covered entities are responsible for ensuring their vendors have appropriate safeguards to protect PHI. When a single vendor serving multiple clients is breached, it creates a cascading effect, exposing a diverse pool of patients to significant risks of identity theft, financial fraud, and targeted phishing attacks, especially when Social Security numbers are involved.
In a notice signed by President & CEO Clifton Stephens, Renkim stated, "While for most people, the information that was affected is not the type that generally can lead to identity theft or fraud, we nonetheless encourage those who received notice from us to... remain vigilant."
Law firms, however, are taking a different view. Federman & Sherwood, which is investigating the breach, noted that the "compromised information raises serious concerns about the potential for identity theft and fraud." Srourian Law Firm and Strauss Borrelli PLLC have also announced investigations with an eye toward potential class-action litigation.
Affected individuals are advised to enroll in the offered Experian IdentityWorks services and closely monitor their financial statements and credit reports for any unauthorized activity. Due to the involvement of PHI, Renkim will be subject to an investigation by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in addition to scrutiny from multiple state Attorneys General.
Under HIPAA, a business associate is a person or organization that performs functions or provides services to a healthcare provider that involve the use or disclosure of PHI.
This type of breach occurs when a third-party vendor or supplier is successfully attacked, leading to the compromise of data belonging to that vendor's clients. Instead of attacking many individual healthcare providers, cybercriminals can target a single vendor to access the data of multiple organizations at once.
Affected individuals should carefully read the notification letter they receive, enroll in the free Experian IdentityWorks credit monitoring service offered, and remain vigilant by reviewing their financial and credit statements. Placing a fraud alert or security freeze on credit files is also a recommended precaution.